OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 



" This is an exceedingly interesting and well-written series 
of sketches of Hungarian domestic life. Miss Birkbeck 
modestly confesses that the scenes and incidents she describes 
are not the fruit of her own personal observation ; but so 
genially has she made use of the excellent materials at her 
command, that we scarcely think the work has suffered be- 
cause its authoress never scampered across the Puszta, or 
shared in the rude sports of the Pasztorok, which she de- 
scribes with such picturesque gusto. The latter portion of 
the volume is chiefly occupied with a touching narrative of 
the sufferings inflicted on the patriots after the fatal trea- 
chery of Vilagos. interspersed with glowing anecdotes of the 
heroism of the Magyars." — Morning Advertiser. 

" Without any attempt at formal narrative or systematic 
description, graphic sketches are given of the past history and 
of the present condition of Hungary and its people. No one 
can read this volume without having a warmer feeling towards 
the land of the Magyars, and being inspired with some of the 
author's enthusiasm for a nation whose history, even down to 
our own days, is so full of romantic interest." — The Literary 
Gazette. 

" This is a work of singular and sterling merit. Miss 
Birkbeck, who appears to possess in great perfection the rare 
power of realising to herself from accurate description things 
that she has not seen, tells what she has learnt in a series of 
charming essays. The effect of them all is to give an account 
of Hungary so full of life and truth, that we have had, since 
Mr. Paget's book, no picture of the land of the Magyar 
equally full and suggestive. The matter of them throughout 
is picturesque and always thoroughly effective, inasmuch as 
they abound in well-felt description and striking traits of 
character, in incidents narrated with real graphic power, in 
anecdotes of which the point is not marred by the telling, and 
in popular tales chosen with the best discretion." — Examiner. 



" This volume is perhaps the most complete compendium of 
the ancient and modern history of the traditions, of the man- 
ners and customs, and generally of the state of Hungary, past 
and present, that has appeared in any language. Truthful 
in its descriptions and natural in its sentiments, it is tho- 
roughly informed with a spirit of philosophy simple and 
earnest, and interpenetrated with an unswerving love of free- 
dom and an unwavering belief in human progression, which 
cannot fail to recommend it to all thoughtful readers. The 
subjects embraced in its pages are as varied as the life of the 
gallant and glorious nation of which it treats ; so that the 
attention is not fatigued by dwelling too much upon any pecu- 
liar topic. Town and country life are also prefigured in these 
pages with much vividness and effect, and, in one instance, 
that of the story of Szoroi, with profound pathos. Szoroi is 
an episode in exile life which would form the subject for as 
lofty a tragedy as ever Sophocles constructed." — Obseevee. 

" This is decidedly to be counted among the most interesting 
little books we have ever met with ; it conveys a more faithful 
picture of Hungarian rural and domestic life than a score of 
volumes of greater bulk and pretence. We here learn in 
simple language how the various tribes of Hungary live and 
think and speak ; how they woo and marry ; what are their 
toils and recreations ; how they love their country, and fight 
and die for it ; and last, though by no means the least, how 
foully Austria breaks every compact, how cruelly she treats 
the fallen." — Atlas. 

" The sketches of the several races given are full of informa- 
tion, and the illustrations of Austrian tyranny and national 
patriotism are put in the most forcible contrast. The names 
of Haynau and Gorgey on the one hand, of Bern and Klapka 
on the other, are to be met with in close connexion with seve- 
ral breathless episodes, which are delineated with a spirit 
and vigour which rouses the sympathies of the reader almost 
beyond control." — Weekly Dispatch. 

" Most heartily do we recommend Miss Birkbeck's work 
to our readers. With the value of historic and social truth, 
it contains many of the charms of the most romantic story. 
In this manner may it be received, and, we hope, presented 
as a welcome gift to hundreds of youthful readers." — Lloyd's 
Newspapeb. 

" The ' Gleanings ' constitute a pleasant and informing 
book." — Spectatob. 



KURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 



Eastern Europe. 



RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 



EASTERN EUROPE. 



BY 

MISS A. M. BIEKBECK. 



Pko Patria et Libertate."— Bdkoczi. 






ScconU Oitton. 



LONDON : 

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR BY 

DAETON AND CO., 58, HOLBOKN HILL. 

MDCCCLIV. 
{Translation reserved.) 



.B6I 



LONDON : 

WILLIAM STEVENS, PRINTER, 37, BELL YARD, 
TEMPLE EAR. 



//</4 



CO 

Dear Ladt Langdale, 

It is not mere private regard, but rather 
admiration of your generous conduct towards the 
fugitive members of that land from whence these 
Gleanings were gathered, that induces me to take 
advantage of your cordial permission to dedicate 
this volume to you. 

Vith reference to the work itself, I may state, 
that I am indebted for the materials of which it is 
composed partly to the kindness of a friend, who, 
during a long sojourn in Hungary, acquired an ac- 
curate knowledge of that land, as well as of its in- 
habitants ; and partly to the living chronicles of 
their own and their country's misfortunes, the 
exiles, whom the force of the political earthquake 
of 1848 cast upon our shores. 

In collecting my Gleanings into a sheaf, I have 



VI DEDICATION. 

endeavoured to preserve the characteristic spirit of 
the original communications, which, as far as I have 
succeeded, will, I am aware, form their principal 
attraction. 

"With much esteem, I remain, 
Dear Lady Langdale, 

Yery faithfully yours, 

A. M. BIRKBECK. 



10, Gloucester Place, Hyde Park, 
London, Wth October, 1854. 



CONTENTS. 



Chap. 

Introduction .... 


Page 
1 


I. — The puszta 


4 


II. — A THEISS FERRY . . . . . 


23 


III. — RoZSA SANDOR 


37 


IV. — After the war .... 


57 


V. — A SPINNING EVENING . 


82 


VI. — Szoroi 


109 


VII. — The proscription . . 


144 


VIII. — THE HUNGARIAN SEA 


166 


IX. — The tatra mountains 


191 


X. — Erlau and its vine culture 


226 


XL — The western borders 


256 


XII. — The szeklers .... 


269 


XIII. — The croats ... 


. 283 


XIV. — The Serbians .... 


. 305 


XV. — The gipsies .... 


328 


XVI. — The golden age .... 


. 356 


XVII. — The iron age .... 


. 372 


XVIII. — The new era .... 


. 399 


XIX. — George klapka 


. 405 



RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 



feten (Erojjt 



INTEODUCTION. 



The Hungarians have an ancient Latin proverb : 
Extra Hungariam non est vita; et si est vita, non 
est ita.* The proud disregard for the rest of 
the world expressed in this patriotic saying evi- 
dently alludes to the riches with which nature has 
blessed that country. And we need not be Hun- 
garians to be forcibly struck by the surpassing fer- 
tility of its soil, and the great variety and abundance 
of its natural products, affording, though but par- 
tially developed, inexhaustible sources of national 

* Beyond Hungary there is no existence, and if there is 
one, it is not such a one. 

B 



2 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

prosperity. Nature seems to have left the inhabit- 
ants nothing to desire. The climate is pleasant 
and salubrious ; the land is watered by rivers and 
lakes, teeming with fish ; its plains are covered 
with corn and fertile pasturage ; choice vines and 
fruit trees adorn its hills, and along the mountain 
ranges extend primitive forests abounding in tim- 
ber and game. 

The wealth upon its surface is equalled by that 
beneath it. In the bowels of the mountains 
metals and precious stones of almost every de- 
scription are to be found ; the Hungarian gold 
and silver mines being the richest in Europe, and 
the fiery opals the most in demand. The features 
of the country are not less remarkable than its 
productiveness. There the lover of nature meets 
with an endless variety of landscape, from the wild 
and gigantic Alpine scenery in the Carpathian and 
Matra mountains — where the boar, chamois, and 
bear have to this day their inaccessible recesses 
— to the simple grandeur of the unadorned plains 
between the Theiss and the Danube. 

The country of the Magyars covers an area of 
110,000 square miles, and contains fourteen mil- 
lion inhabitants, of whom nearly the half are of 
Magyar origin. The rest comprise eight distinct 
races, exhibiting remarkable differences in their 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 3 

character, language, and pursuits. Among these 
the most numerous are the Slovacks, Wallacks, 
G-ermans, and Croats. 

The cause of so great a conflux of races within 
the boundaries of a single realm may be traced to 
the geographical position of the country. Situated 
as it is on the banks of the largest river in Europe 
— which in its course from west to east formed the 
natural guide of the migratory hordes, as they 
poured down from the Asiatic highlands in quest 
of new homes — Hungary, with her vast plains and 
pasturages, became the high road, as well as the 
arena, of the struggles and encampments of those 
warlike herdsmen who, like so many gigantic water- 
spouts, swept over the country, destroying other 
nations in their impetuous course, and after a tem- 
porary existence, being in their turn destroyed by 
succeeding still mightier avalanches, leaving only 
in some sheltered corner of the land larger or 
smaller remnants of their race, which in succeeding 
periods of tranquillity became amalgamated into 
one political body. 



BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTEE I. 

THE PTTSZTA. 

The ' most level and least populous part of the 
great Hungarian plain — Ronasdg — is the JPuszta, 
or steppes. It lies between the Danube and the 
Theiss, extending along both banks of the latter 
river, and over about the moiety of the Ronasdg, 
which contains 15,000 square miles. The Puszta 
presents the aspect of a vast ocean, which, during a 
calm, had by some supernatural agency been trans- 
muted into its present solid state. Its boundless 
and slightly undulating surface is varied by none 
of nature's charms, and as yet, even traces of hu- 
man dominion are few and far between. For miles 
there is not a village, not a house, not a tree. 
Here and there a draw-well, with its long pole 
rising against the sky ; a stork immovably poised 
on one leg ; a vulture wheeling noiselessly in the 
air; now and then a flock moving slowly along, 
tended by mounted herdsmen ; and the Fata Mor- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. O 

gana, with its wondrous reflex of airy landscapes, 
constitute the prominent features in a Puszta 
picture. 

Tet in no part of the country have the Magyars 
clung so pertinaciously to the soil, or so faithfully 
preserved the customs and manners of their fore- 
fathers as on the Puszta, Here the wandering 
tribes again discovered the level ground and fertile 
pasturages of their lost home in distant Asia, and 
here Arpad, the first Hungarian prince, with his 
nobles framed the fundamental constitution, which 
has so powerfully assisted the Magyars to preserve 
themselves through so many centuries as a distinct 
nation. At the present moment every man is a 
horseman, just as he was a thousand years ago, 
when the first troops pitched their tents on those 
boundless plains, and the first Magyar led his 
horse to drink from the fair waters of the Theiss. 
"We see now, as then, the brown son of the 
steppes in his sheepskin, or bournous, racing swift 
as the wind on half-wild steeds, or swimming 
through rivers, or driving large herds across the 
plain. To render the illusion complete, the vil- 
lages with their tent-like houses and wide unpaved 
streets have the appearance of camps, through 
which the inmates seem to stride with the mien of 
conquerors, as if they had but yesterday sheathed 

b2 



6 RUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

the sword which won for them their beloved 
country. 

But if Nature forgot to adorn the Puszta, she 
has compensated for that neglect by the endow- 
ments which she has bestowed on its inhabit- 
ants. For she has given to them, as to the whole 
Magyar race, a warlike and chivalrous spirit, and 
an indomitable love of freedom, by which they 
have been enabled successfully to resist Moguls, 
Turks, and Austrians, who for centuries have in- 
vaded their land. 

The Puszta, therefore, is the centre of the na- 
tional force of the Magyars, as it is the stronghold 
of the Protestant religion, being the seat of the 
Kumanains, Jazygs, Hayduks, and other tribes, 
most of which are staunch supporters of the Ee- 
formed Church, and all warriors at a moment's 
notice. Their language also is the purest idiom of 
the Hungarian, and their appearance and character 
bear the stamp of their direct descent from a na- 
tion of aristocrats. They are, in truth, a finely- 
built race, tall and handsome in form, with dark 
complexions, expressive features, and frank and 
unembarrassed manners ; their mighty moustaches 
and long black hair rendering their bearing at 
once martial and dignified. Though usually grave 
and laconic, they are capable of excitement, when 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 7 

they grow extremely animated and eloquent, giving 
to their soft, flowing language an oriental colour- 
ing, from the many metaphors and proverbs which 
it is their custom to use. Their public life is cha- 
racterized by honesty and magnanimity; and, 
amongst their household virtues, courtesy and hos- 
pitality are conspicuous, the latter being practised 
alike by rich and poor, not unfrequently to their 
own detriment. An enthusiastic love of music, 
song, and poetry, impart to their social and con- 
vivial enjoyments an interest which borders on the 
romantic. 

The costume of the Hungarians consists of a 
broad-brimmed hat, tight-fitting jacket and trow- 
sers richly braided, boots with the never-failing 
accompaniment of spurs, and a bournous of thick 
white cloth, or a bunda, a large cloak made of 
tanned sheepskin, gaudily embroidered at every 
seam. 

The soil of the Puszta, excepting a sandy tract 
here and there, is extremely fertile, and its pro- 
dace sufficient to maintain ten times the number 
now scattered over its surface. The saying, there- 
fore, that the inhabitants are stifled by plenty, is 
literally true ; and they merely cultivate just as 
much of the ground as they absolutely require to 
supply their own wants and the markets in the 



8 BUEAL AKD HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

neighbouring towns, leaving the rest for pasturage, 
the breeding of cattle, as a les3 laborious and more 
profitable part of husbandry, constituting the chief 
part of their occupation and wealth. 

As many of the farms are situated at a great 
distance from the villages, the management of 
them is intrusted to a set of men, who pursue 
their calling in almost entire seclusion from the 
rest of the world. These men are divided, accord- 
ing to their occupations, into two classes; the 
Gazddk, or farmer, who are stationary, and the 
PdsztoroJc, or herdsmen, whose life is spent in con- 
tinual roving amidst the solitude of the steppes. 

In the centre of a plot of arable land lies the 
Tanya, or farm, where the Gazda dwells with his 
people. The Tanya comprises a few huts and out- 
houses for the cattle and sheep, with a yard, the 
receptacle of numerous stacks of hay and straw, 
which from a distance gives to this rude settlement 
an appearance of greater importance than it really 
possesses. The whole is inclosed by a mud wall, 
and guarded by large white shepherds' dogs, with 
long shaggy hair and bushy tails. These dogs are 
very savage, and fall upon strangers with the same 
fury as upon reed wolves, to which, excepting in 
colour, they bear a great resemblance. Their 
courage is exceeded only by their vigilance, quali- 



FEOM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 9 

ties which render them of immense value to the 
shepherd. 

Beyond the boundaries of these farms extend 
interminable pasturages, fragrant with aromatic 
herbs, and covered with countless herds of buffa- 
loes, snow-white bullocks with enormous horns, 
horses, swine, and sheep, of which hundreds of 
thousands are yearly exported, particularly to Aus- 
tria and Italy. 

The life of the herdsmen, or Pdsztorok, who, 
from their earliest youth, are occupied in tending 
cattle, is full of wild originality. They are hardy 
sons of jST ature, not as yet reached by the blessings 
of civilization, and free alike from its vices. Un- 
taught, and simple in their wants, and, by the na- 
ture of their occupations, separated from the world, 
they form a strange community of many thousand 
members, connected only by the slight bonds of 
accidental meeting, rejoicing in unbounded liberty, 
and knowing no other law than that of their own 
will. They remain the whole year beneath the 
canopy of heaven. Their chief clothing is a bunda, 
which serves them for house, bed, and all, and 
which they wear in summer with the woolly side 
outwards and in winter inwards. With the excep- 
tion of an occasional traveller, they come in con- 
tact only with the few men with whom they transact 



10 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

business. Notwithstanding this, they are polite in 
their bearing to the stranger, and welcome heartily 
every one as their gnest who will sit around their 
fire and partake of their abundant meal. 

Although by baptism members of the Christian 
community, their religion chiefly consists in ideas 
awakened by the contemplation of nature. They 
usually remain single, and if they marry, their 
wives dwell in a neighbouring village, visiting their 
husbands from time to time, to carry them the few 
necessaries their primitive wants demand. 

The melancholy and stillness which surround 
them during their solitary existence on the Puszta 
are so deeply impressed on their whole being, that 
even at their meetings they remain grave and taci- 
turn, and only become animated when music, song, 
and wine have aroused their slumbering feelings. 

Their fare is as simple as their manner of life, 
consisting of bread and bacon, or Gulyds-lius, a 
dish made of finely minced pork, mutton, and beef, 
highly seasoned with pepper, and cooked in a pan. 
Their beverage is a light wine, produced on the 
Puszta. Smoking is an indispensable necessity 
with them, and the pipe is seldom from their lips. 

The habits and inclinations of the Pdsztoroh are 
greatly influenced by their occupations. The most 
independent among them is the Csikos, or " horse- 



rilOM EASTERN ETLROPE. 11 

keeper." Brought up with horses and on horseback, 
he becomes the best rider in the world. On foot 
lie seems uncomfortable, and is only truly happy 
when mounted on some wild steed. Then he feels 
as free as air, recognizing neither impediment nor 
danger. From, the Csikosok the best regiments of 
hussars are recruited, celebrated for their valour 
and agility as light cavalry. 

The Csikos, with the assistance of helpers, takes 
charge of the more or less numerous studs belong- 
ing to noblemen or to communities. Although 
the breed of horses in Hungary has been greatly 
improved by the introduction of the English and 
Arab race, yet those of the Puszta excel more in 
endurance and speed than in blood. 

When the proprietor of a stud intends to select 
a full-grown colt for his use, the Csikos vaults on 
to the first horse that comes to hand, and gallops 
into the midst of the herd, which he skilfully guides 
with his long whip. He then casts the lasso, a rope 
with a noose, so adroitly, that, at the first throw, 
he catches the marked colt. It is then saddled and 
mounted by one of his helpers. The unruly animal 
bounds and tears across the plain at the wildest 
speed, making every effort to throw its rider, yet in 
vain. The Csikos cares neither for its kicking nor 
prancing, but sits in his saddle as quietly as if it were 



12 ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

an arm chair. At length, tired out, and trembling all 
over, the colt, already half broken in, offers no fur- 
ther resistance, and the Csikos leads it away to its 
owner. The horses in training for carriages are 
harnessed to heavy blocks of wood, and driven till 
they are accustomed to their work. The Gulyas, 
or keeper of bullocks, like the CsiJcos, tends his 
herds on horseback. The bulls, particularly when 
they stray from the herds during certain seasons, 
are very ferocious and dangerous, often pursuing 
both riders and carriages for miles, tearing up the 
earth with their enormous horns, and bellowing in 
a fearful manner. 

The wildest class in the large body of herdsmen 
are the Kandszoh, or keepers of swine. Their occu- 
pations and sports are so often connected with fight- 
ing and bloodshed, and they signalize themselves 
by such a daring courage, that they may very pro- 
perly be called the "warriors" of the Puszta. The 
fame of a celebrated fighter is their greatest pride. 

Their inseparable companion is a sharp heavy 
axe, resembling the tomahawk of the American 
Indians, which they throw with such extraordinary 
skill that they can kill a pig with it at the distance 
of twenty yards. 

In summer they tend their herds on the ex- 
tensive morasses which cover large tracts of low 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE, 13 

ground, where the pigs find sufficient food from the 
roots of reeds and sedges. For the winter, they 
betake themselves with their herds to the moun- 
tains, on the borders of Transylvania. 

As soon as the Kanaszok have found a suitable 
place in the forest for the fattening of their pigs, 
they build a temporary hut with the branches of 
trees, as a shelter for themselves and their helpers 
against the inclemency of the weather. Their 
leisure hours, of which they have many, they wile 
away with throwing the axe at a given mark, or 
with music and dancing. 

Their dance, which is very expressive, is gene- 
rally performed by only one person. It consists 
of elaborate movements of the feet to the sound of 
a violin or bagpipe, accompanied by the song of 
the dancer. 

This terpsichorean performance, the plastic re- 
presentation of enticing and slaying a pig, begins 
with playing with the axe. The dancer takes one 
of these heavy weapons in each hand, and, whilst 
springing, whirls them round his head with such 
rapidity, that they look like a pair of wheels ; now 
and then throwing them into the air to the mea- 
sure of the music. The dance ends either by 
aiming the axe at a given mark, or at a pig, se- 
lected from the herd for that purpose. 



14 EUBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Besides this, they have another " pastime " — at 
least they call it such — so wild and barbarous that 
it is not unfrequently attended with fatal results. 
Prom time immemorial it has been a custom with 
the Kandszok, originating, perhaps, in one of the 
national wars, to make predatory expeditions to 
carry off their neighbours' pigs. In the prosecu- 
tion of this barbarous custom there is a certain 
kind of chivalry, showing that they practise it less 
for the sake of plunder, than to prove their cou- 
rage. "When a Kandsz undertakes one of these 
marauding expeditions, he assembles his men, six 
or eight in number, and sets out during the night 
to the place where the marked herd is feeding. 
On reaching the hut of the Kandsz who guards 
it, the leader of the band strikes the door three 
times with his axe ; this being the well-known 
sigu that he is to come forth and defend his herd. 
The threatened Kandsz does not require the chal- 
lenge to be repeated, but at once rushes out with 
his people, and falls, armed with axes, upon the 
assailants. A violent encounter ensues, usually 
terminating, after a number have been wounded, 
with the victory of the aggressors, who have now 
the privilege of selecting a number of the best ani- 
mals and driving them away, without further op- 
position, to their camp. 



EEOM EASTEEN EXJEOPE. 15 

As, however, these plundering expeditions are 
made successively by all the KandszoJc, the diminu- 
tion of their swine is pretty well equalised ; but not 
so with regard to the men themselves, who some- 
times fall victims to their ill-timed bravery, and 
whose loss does not admit of such easy adjust- 
ment. "When an expedition terminates in the 
death of one of the marauders, the news, though 
slowly, at length reaches their homes, and those 
who are supposed to have been the most culpable 
in the affray are taken by the County Pandurs, or 
rural police, sent after them. We say " supposed/' 
because neither punishment nor reward can ever 
induce these herdsmen, untutored as they are, to 
denounce their guilty companions. Such an act 
would be considered one of the greatest treachery, 
and would lead to the expulsion, if not something 
worse, of the denouncer from their community ; 
for, spite of their nightly wars, these men live toge- 
ther on the best terms, after their fights, mutually 
binding up their wounds, and attending upon each 
other like brothers, until the next encounter, when 
they again inflict and receive fresh injuries. 

Besides the Pdsztorok, the Puszta is peopled by 
another set of men still more attached to a life of 
roving, not tolerating even the light constraint of 
tending flocks, and trusting entirely to accidents' 



16 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

capricious favour for their daily bread. These men 
are called " Szegeny Legenyek" literally, " poor fel- 
lows." 

The motive of their lawless existence is the enjoy- 
ment of idleness and love of unbounded liberty, for 
they generally take from the overplus of the rich 
only as much as will satisfy their simple wants. 
Cattle, which they carry off with astonishing dexte- 
rity, is their chief spoil. Travellers they molest 
only in order to get tobacco from them for their 
pipes. They live more singly than in company. 
From time to time their numbers are recruited by 
herdsmen compelled to join them from urgent mo- 
tives, such as the fear of being enlisted as soldiers, 
or to evade justice after a sanguinary fray amongst 
themselves, and who, when tired of their lawless 
life, again enter their former service, their masters 
never asking them how they have been employed 
during their absence. Thus it is, that the " Szegeny 
Legeny" so easily fraternise with the Pdsztoroh. If 
any of the former are pursued by County Pandurs, 
the latter help them to escape, partly from fear, and 
partly from sympathy ; so that, if they have com- 
mitted no greater crime than stealing cattle, they 
are seldom overtaken by the law. Even at the 
Tanya they find temporary shelter, that is to say, 
some fopd and a night's quarter, and woe betide 



EECM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 17 

the manager who denies hospitality to a Szegeny 
Legeny. He may assuredly expect to see his farm 
in flames when he least expects it. 

The only place of amusement for these nomades 
of the Puszta is the Gsdrda, or hedge-inn, a very 
uninviting oasis of pleasure, where every one but 
the simple child of the steppes, who carries his con- 
tentment with him, would feel but ill at ease. A 
Csdrda might well be called a primitive attempt at 
hostelry. It is a hut thatched with straw or reeds, 
containing two rooms divided by a kitchen. The 
furniture is simple in the extreme ; a large oven, 
long table, and benches of massive wood ranged 
along the bare walls, forming the contents of the 
principal chamber, or drinking room. 

The host of the Csdrda, perhaps formerly himself 
a Szegeny Legeny, is the friend of all who will enter 
his dwelling and drink his cheap wine. He cares 
not a whit whether the face of his guest is clouded 
by the fear of persecution or brightened by a heart 
at ease ; he asks neither his name, nor his occupa- 
tion, nor the reason of his journey ; and when occa- 
sionally, in the dead of night, a horseman arrives in 
anxious haste at the Csdrda with his hat drawn over 
his gloomy countenance, the host, after exchang- 
ing a look of intelligence with him, silently places 
a jug before his taciturn guest, and betakes him- 

c 2 



18 ETTBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

self oftener than usual to the open door, to listen if 
any sound disturb the stillness of the night. Such 
guests depart before daybreak and ride on to the 
steppes, where all traces of them soon disappear. 

The Csdrda is frequently the scene of noisy merry- 
makings, at which picturesque groups of herdsmen, 
travellers, gipsies, Szegeny Legenyek and County 
Pandurs may be seen; the latter scouring the 
country in quest of thieves, keeping a sharp scruti- 
nising eye on the guests. 

As the Hungarian is a passionate lover of music 
and dancing, every hedge-inn has its band of gipsy 
musicians, who, although constantly wandering, yet 
always manage to appear whenever their services 
are required. To complete the party, swarthy 
maidens, with flashing eyes and long dark hair, 
flock there to share the dance with the guests. 
The gipsies, with their violin, cymbal, and clarionet, 
take their places round the large oven, and com- 
mence playing without any invitation. By degrees 
the melodious sounds find their way to the hearts 
of the men, sitting over their wine with an air of 
austere composure, till at length one or more of 
them suddenly start off their seats as if seized upon 
by an unseen power, and begin the fiery Csdrdds, 
the national dance of the Hungarians. A look 
from them is sufficient to bring their favourite 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 19 

maidens to their side, and they soon spring and 
twirl in a labyrinth of joy to the sweet undulating 
tones. Their countenances beam with an expres- 
sion of lively pleasure, and they give vent to their 
feelings from time to time by shouts or a shrill 
whistle. Their ardour increases with the increas- 
ing excitement of the dance. The mighty spirit of 
music carries them on like a leaf in a storm on its 
elastic wings, and as often as the musicians seem 
about to pause, the dancers call out their national 
challenge, " Hdrom a tdncz /" or " Three times 
around !" 

Men, thus possessed with musical delirium, pre- 
sent truly a strange sight, and you might well 
doubt whether they are the same who, only a short 
time before, were seated at the tables so grave and 
so silent. 

At intervals the dance alternates with songs, 
which are traditions of old and happier times, or 
love tales. 

This harmless amusement often takes a serious 
turn, by the entrance of a celebrated fighter, who, 
without a greeting, proceeds to the middle of the 
room, takes his axe from under his cloak, and 
strikes it into the cross-beam of the ceiling, asking, 
in a voice of challenge, "Who is a man in the 






20 BUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Csdrda ?" Hereupon either one of the herdsmen 
steps forward, and draws the axe from the beam — 
this being a sign that he accepts the challenge — or 
all present leave the room. The fighter, being 
thus left alone, drinks for some hours, to solace 
himself, and afterwards boasts to his comrades of 
his easy victory. 

When, however, an adversary presents himself, 
a fight is agreed upon, the guests immediately 
form two parties, and make a ring round the com- 
batants, who commence a frightful battle with their 
axes. The bystanders, frequently overcome by 
their martial predilection, join in the contest, and 
the parties fall upon each other, whereby the mallet 
of the Csikos, the club of the Gulyds, and the axe 
of the Kandsz severally distribute blows and 
wounds. 

The axe usually wins the victory, the results of 
which are not alone broken heads, but sometimes 
the death of one of the herdsmen. The most guilty 
quickly makes his escape, and instead of returning 
to his herd, becomes a Szegeny Legeny. 

The herdsmen have an invincible antipathy to all 
contact with judicial people, knowing from hearsay 
the solemn formalities and costly process of law, 
as well as its venality, and they prefer, whenever it 



EEOM EASTEEN ETJEOPE. 21 

is possible, to settle their differences in what they 
term an "amicable way." The Csdrda is their court 
of justice on these occasions. 

Their quarrels arise, in general, about missing 
cattle, or a favourite maiden. In the former case, 
the injured party, already convinced of the guilt of 
one of his camarades, invites him to drink at the 
next Csdrda. After emptying several bottles, and 
thus duly fortifying themselves for the trial, the 
plaintiff begins with a gravity and composure that 
would do honour to a judge. 

" Pista Bdtydm" — brother Stephen, — " have you 
seen my grey foal ? " 

" Not that I know of, Pali ocsem" — brother Paul 
— replies the questioned, with equal composure. 

" Now, tell me truly ; you must have seen it, for I 
myself recognised it amongst your herd." 

" Perhaps thou took'st my large grey dog for thy 
foal ?" "I see, you are determined to know no- 
thing of it. Well !" says the imperturbable plain- 
tiff, pausing in his short examination. He then 
draws his club from under his sheepskin, and con- 
tinues his cross-questioning with a blow, that 
descends with the rapidity of lightning on the head 
of the offender. 

" So, Pali desem, thou hast struck me !" remarks 
the other in a phlegmatic manner. " Well, wait a 



22 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

little."* It is now his turn. He accordingly takes 
his club, and answers with a blow. Thus they go 
on fighting, until the thief all at once remembers 
the missing foal, and promises to restore it. They 
then lay their clubs aside, endeavour to drown the 
remembrance of their "amicable" law suit in fresh 
potations, and leave the Csdrda as they came, on 
the best terms possible. 

* The custom of the younger addressing the older with 
" you," while the latter uses the familiar " thou," is perhaps 
an exclusive peculiarity of the Magyars. This patriarchal 
reverence for age is so deeply rooted in the nature of the 
people that they do not violate it even under the greatest 
excitement. The same respect is shown by the wife to her 
husband. 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 23 



CHAPTER II. 

A THEISS EERRY. 

Excepting a few bridges, the communication over 
the Theiss, in its course through the Hungarian 
plains, is carried on by ferry-boats, large enough to 
contain from two to four carriages, which are either 
ferried to and fro by means of strong ropes 
stretched across the river and fastened to stakes on 
each shore, or more frequently by the aid of oars. 

The ferrymen live in huts near to the landing 
places, and occupy themselves during their leisure 
hours — of which they have many — with fishing and 
making baskets, hurdles, and hampers from the 
twigs of the willows which skirt the banks of the 
river. 

The neighbourhood of a ferry is generally 
pointed out by a few tall silver poplars, which, be- 
sides sheltering one or more huts, serve as a way- 
mark to the traveller. Not far from the ferry 
stands a Csdrda, or hedge-inn, devoid both inside 



24 E-TJRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

and out of every attraction and comfort, save a 
cheap kind of wine, and excellent bread. The 
want of good inns, however, is scarcely felt in that 
part of the country ; as it is the custom of the 
people to provide themselves abundantly before 
setting out on a journey, and so to arrange their 
stations as to be able to rest at a friend's, or at 
some hospitable landowner's house. 

A Theiss ferry, though usually but little fre- 
quented, presents a very animated scene at the 
periods of the fair at Debreczen, the most important 
commercial town in Eastern Hungary ; when, along 
the countless wheelmarks across the steppes, long 
lines of vehicles and droves of cattle may be seen 
converging from north, west, and south, to the dif- 
ferent landing places. It is both interesting and 
amusing to watch this motley concourse of people, 
who, in language, in apparel, in manners and cus- 
toms, in their general appearance and in their oc- 
cupations, form such striking contrasts to each other. 
The high, long waggons, not unlike moving houses, 
to which twelve or fourteen small horses are har- 
nessed, belong to the Slovacks from the northern 
mountain counties, who are carrying their produce 
to market, consisting of wooden, earthen, and glass 
manufactures, linen, medicinal herbs, iron wares, 
&c. The owners of these goods are known by 



FEOM EASTEEN EEEOPE. 25 

their fair complexions, pale, beardless faces, subdued 
manners, and soft language. They wear plain dark 
clothes, with broad double leathern girdles round 
their waists, in which they keep their money. The 
smaller carts, drawn by strong German horses, and 
laden with heavy chests and bales, belong to the 
merchants of Pesth and Vienna, who send Austrian 
manufactures and groceries to Debreczen in ex- 
change for Hungarian ducats or raw products. 
These carts are accompanied by clerks, easily re. 
cognised by their French attire and German dialect. 
Here and there the long line of heavy waggons is 
interspersed by a light Hungarian cart, or the ele- 
gant carriage of a nobleman, drawn by four fleet 
steeds, often harnessed in a row, and driven by a 
fierce-looking brown son of the steppes, dressed in 
a richly embroidered white bournous, or in tight- 
fitting and handsomely braided apparel. The carts 
laden with hides and skins, or with articles of 
finery of a cheap and gaudy description, belong to 
the Jews. Their shabby velveteen garments, their 
sharp accent and marked features, admit of no 
doubt as to their race. Following these come 
herdsmen on horseback, their noble, martial coun- 
tenances shaded with broad-brimmed hats. They 
pass by at full speed, or slowly drive herds of cattle 
and horses with their long whips. Troops of 



26 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

County Pandurs, or rural police, too, make their 
appearance on horseback, in handsome hussar attire, 
armed with swords, muskets, and pistols. They 
are scouring the Puszta in quest of Szegeny Lege- 
nyeJc, or "poor fellows," of whom there is almost 
every year one or more who, by their daring feats in 
cattle-stealing, attract the particular attention of 
justice. At that time the most celebrated Szegeny 
Legeny along the Theiss was Edzsa Sandor, who for 
years had been arraigned for murder, but always 
contrived to escape the vigilance of the Pandurs. 

These caravans, coming from such different 
points, meet at the Theiss ferries, in order to cross 
the river, where, in the event of stormy weather, 
their patience is often put to a severe trial. 

In the autumn of 1847, at the period of the 
great fair at Debreczen, I witnessed an unusually 
large conflux of merchants, carts, and cattle at the 
ferry of Csurgo. On my arrival a heavy gale from 
the north had sprung up, which rendered crossing 
so dangerous that the ferrymen were obliged to 
suspend their occupation. Every moment the 
crowd was increased by fresh arrivals. It may 
readily be imagined that the chief ferryman was a 
person of no little importance on this occasion. 
His hut was besieged by every new comer to hear 
the fate of the day from his lips. At this date the 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 27 

head of the ferrymen at Csurgo was a man of the 
name of Istdk. In spite of his sixty years he 
still vigorously discharged his hard duties, and with 
his athletic figure, long wavy hair, and mighty 
moustache, looked more like a chieftain than a 
common boatman. Erom long practice he knew 
right well how to treat his customers, and drank 
with great dignity to the health of those who 
offered him their Kulacs, or wooden flasks, or filled 
his pipe with tobacco from the leather bags, which, 
as a matter of courtesy, were presented to him. 

As the last sunbeams had disappeared from the 
steppes, and the wind had but little abated, all gave 
up the idea of proceeding further that night, and 
made themselves as comfortable as circumstances 
and their means permitted. Here and there tents 
were pitched, and fires of reeds or dried manure 
were lighted up, around which groups gathered to 
prepare or to consume their evening meal. The 
horses were chained by the feet in pairs, and driven 
on to the pasturage, from whence the sound of 
their bells was heard amidst the din and bustle of 
the camp. 

As I made one of the number of the weather- 
bound, I determined to amuse myself as well as 
the untoward events of the day allowed, and after 
sauntering amongst the carts and watching the 



28 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

multifarious proceedings of their owners, I took my 
way to Istok's. Around a large wood fire, blazing 
in front of his hut, a number of his friends were 
seated or stretched upon furs and cloaks. Istok 
himself, with a white bournous thrown over one 
shoulder, sat on the edge of a boat, keel upwards, 
smoking a short pipe, and whilst he gave abrupt 
answers to one and another, was intently watching 
the wind and the turbulent river. 

I had known the old ferryman for years. He 
was formerly an hussar, and after retiring from 
service was from his experience and intelligence 
looked upon by the country people as a very learned 
man. He was renowned for his skill in telling 
stories. The more marvellous, the more they were 
admired ; for the Hungarians, like other people in 
a simple aad natural state, give the preference to 
accounts in which some superhuman being plays 
the chief part. No one was so well versed in the 
sayings and traditions of the Puszta as Istok, and 
none could draw so lively a picture of a battle. 
His memory was truly astonishing : and with his 
vivid imagination he perfectly understood how to 
carry his auditors along with him. He therefore 
enjoyed unrivalled celebrity as the first story-teller 
in the neighbourhood ; and that is saying much, 
when we recollect, that, next to music and singing, 



FEOM EASTERN ETJBOPE. 29 

the Hungarian passionately loves and frequently 
exercises this amusement ; thus, good narrators are 
to be found everywhere. 

"When in his best humour, Istok would tell of 
his strange adventures as an hussar. He would 
declare with great earnestness, that once during 
his long marches he came to the end of the world, 
from whence he looked down upon nothingness, 
and as he could proceed no farther, he turned back 
again. Another time, he had to cross such high 
mountains, that he was obliged to dismount from 
his horse to prevent the plumes in his csako from 
brushing the sky, and on that occasion col- 
lected as many stars as his fodder-bag could hold ; 
the light of which for a long time saved him the 
expense of candles. With such tales he would 
astonish his admiring listeners. 

On my joining the group before his hut, the 
subject of discussion was naturally the weather. 
One of the guests said to the ferryman : " See 
there, Istok Bdtydm — brother Stephen — what a 
mist is rising over the S6s-morass." 

" I have already remarked it," he replied ; " it is 
the veil of the Maiden of the Theiss." 

Several of the traders, who it might easily be 
seen, had not grown up on the Puszta, eagerly in- 
quired the meaning of that expression. 

d2 



30 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

" Yes," said the ferryman, musingly, whilst 
twirling his moustache; "the mist from Sos- 
morass is the veil of our Maiden: whenever it 
rises and moves along the river it is a sign of wet 
weather." 

Some of the group then spoke anxiously of the 
bad effects of the rain on the roads and fair ; others, 
whose curiosity had been excited by the ferryman's 
remark, begged for an explanation of the connec- 
tion of the Maiden's veil with the weather, sup- 
porting their petition by a never-failing bribe, in 
the shape of their Kulacs filled with the fiery wine 
of their country. After Istok had taken a fair 
share from each, and wiped his moustache after 
every draught, he began : 

" It is so long since the Maiden's veil first ap- 
peared on the Theiss, that without an almanac I 
really cannot satisfy your curiosity as to the date 
of it; suffice it to say, that it was before our 
people settled on the Puszta. Well, once upon a 
time a mighty prince who dwelt on the other side 
of the river, ruled over the land. This prince had 
a son, whose greatest pleasure was to spend his 
time in riding and hunting upon the steppes. One 
winter, when the river was entirely frozen over, he 
rode for the first time in his life across the ice, to 
see how the world looked on this side. He wan- 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 31 

dered about the livelong day, till at length he lost 
his way, and night overtook him in the middle of 
the Puszta. To his great joy, he all at once per- 
ceived a light in the distance, which guided him to 
a hut, wherein a large fire was blazing. He rode 
up to it, and entered. The interior of the hut 
looked barren, for it belonged to a poor fisherman, 
like myself ; but it contained a treasure in the form 
of a very pretty girl, in which, truth to say, this 
country has never been wanting. The beauty of 
Juliska, for such was the girl's name, so entirely 
captivated the young man, that he forgot fire and 
hut, and loved her almost before he had time to 
greet her parents. Under various pretexts he tar- 
ried several days at the fisherman's ; and when he 
rode back to his castle he left his heart behind, 
taking, however, in exchange the girl's love with 
him. Soon after his return home, it happened that 
he was obliged to go to the war, whence he only 
came back late in the spring. His first care was 
to hasten to his beloved Juliska ; but the ice, which 
had formerly served him as a means of communi- 
cation across the river, had disappeared, and before 
him lay a vast expanse of water. It was probably 
at the time of the early floods. There were then 
no ferries along the Theiss, as there are now-a-days ; 
and even if there had, at flood time they would 



32 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

have been of no avail. The young prince was in 
despair at the sight of this insurmountable impe- 
diment. Most likely he would have had to await 
the ebbing of the waters — a very tedious affair for 
an impatient lover — had not the genius of love come 
to his assistance. ' I will build you a bridge,' said 
the friendly spirit to the young prince, ' over which 
you shall safely pass from one shore to the other, 
until the time comes when you first bring sorrow 
to your beloved one's heart and tears to her eyes.' 
The prince's son joyously agreed to the terms ; and 
the genius, lighting his torch, traced an arch with 
it through the blue vault of heaven, and there, 
wherever his torch had touched the sky, a golden 
bridge arose, reflecting all the brilliant colours of 
the rainbow. This marvellous structure extended 
from shore to shore. The young man crossed it 
without feeling giddy, and soon reached his lovely 
fisher girl. Their happiness lasted till the autumn, 
when he was summoned to his castle to wed a 
neighbouring prince's daughter. On his bidding 
the last farewell, Juliska shed the first tears of 
sorrow. She wept silently, and did not even ex- 
press the secret wish of her heart, that he would 
return once more to her poor hut; she only en- 
treated him to remain with her till the storm, which 
was gathering in the firmament, was over. But he 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 33 

heeded not her supplications, and forgetful of the 
kind spirit's warning, hurried on to meet his doom. 
As he gained the highest point of the bridge, a 
flash of lightning struck the delicate fabric and 
shivered it to atoms. The young prince fell into 
the deep water, from which he never rose. The 
girl, witness of her lover's untimely fate, was 
seized with despair ; she could no longer endure 
her lonely and joyless existence, and plunged into 
the Theiss, that in death at least she might be 
united to him. Since then she often rises from the 
stream, veiled in a thin mist which she draws with 
her as she wanders along the banks, perhaps to 
visit the scene of her short-lived happiness. 
"Whenever she appears, Nature herself seems 
affected by her grief ; as she not only puts on a 
sombre garb, but weeps for days in unceasing rain. 
The people gave fco poor Juliska the name of * The 
Maiden of the Theiss.' " 

The ferryman paused, and his auditors, who had 
forgotten the weather and its effects whilst listen- 
ing to this touching tale, now felt quite disposed 
to hear some other tradition of the Puszta, and 
tempted him to proceed by fresh offers of wine 
and tobacco. 

" You know such a pretty legend of the origin of 
the Delibab— Fata Morgana -observed one of his 



3il ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

friends. " Sure enough I do, and many others be- 
sides," he replied ; " but my pipe is out, and till it 
is refilled, I cannot begin another tale." 

Several offered their assistance. Istok gave his 
pipe to one of his younger companions, who care- 
fully filled, lighted, and handed it over to its 
owner. After leisurely inhaling the smoke of the 
aromatic herb, and emitting several mighty whiffs 
he continued : " You must know, that the lata 
Morgana, according to my grandfather's account, 
who heard it from a learned monk, was first seen 
on our Puszta, owing to a very peculiar and won- 
derful circumstance. 

"At the time when the Moguls, like locusts, 
overran our fatherland, a noble widow, with her 
three daughters, lived farther down the stream in 
Delivar. The news of the advance of the mon- 
sters, who, as the story goes, were one-eyed and 
ate the flesh of men, had scarcely reached the land, 
when they, fleet as the wind, made their appear- 
ance in every direction, burning and murdering all 
that came in their way. The inhabitants of the 
towns and villages deserted their dwellings and 
fled, part to strong fortresses, and part in search 
of hiding-places: of the latter, however, few es- 
caped, as they were soon overtaken and slain by 
the merciless enemy. The widow of Delivar, too, 



FliOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 35 

left her castle with her daughters ; but before 
they could discover a safe retreat among the reeds, 
their strength failed in the middle of the level 
plains. Delay was certain death ; this the mother 
felt most deeply, and as she was the weakest of the 
party, entreated her children to save themselves 
without considering her. They, however, only 
clung the more tenderly to her, and were deter- 
mined to share her fate. Meanwhile they per- 
ceived on all sides the smoke of burning villages, 
and saw in the horizon a cloud of dust rise, as it 
does before a storm, which approached with fear- 
ful rapidity. The ground began to tremble as the 
dark figures of countless riders, galloping onwards, 
became more and more distinct through the dust in 
which they were partly enveloped. 

"During these moments of intense agony, the 
mother with burning tears prayed to God to take 
her life as a sacrifice for the safety of her beloved 
children. 

"As destruction seemed inevitable, the women 
encircled each other in a long embrace, and awaited 
the death-blow with silent resignation. All at 
once the trembling of the earth ceased ; the terri- 
fied group could only hear the violent throbs of 
their own hearts, and they scarcely dared to trust 
their eyes, when on looking up they saw a broad 



36 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

clear stream flowing between them and their 
enemies, the banks of which were covered with 
pleasant groves. After a short halt, the Moguls 
turned round and disappeared as quickly as they 
came, behind a cloud of dust. The mother and her 
daughters were saved. The monk explained to 
my grandfather, that God had heard the mother's 
prayer, and changed her tears into a protecting 
stream, and thus stopped the advance of the 
enemy, against whom even the armies of King 
Bela were too weak. 

" In memory of this wonderful event, that pecu- 
liar apparition, with its flowing lakes and land- 
scapes, is called the Delibdb, and may be seen to 
this day on the Puszta." Towards the end of 
Istok's tale, I descried the gipsies from the neigh- 
bouring village of Boldog-Emlek, with their instru- 
ments, coming in the direction of the Csarda, from 
whence the sound of music soon proceeded. As 
I was already acquainted with most of Istok's 
stories I stole from the circle of listeners and bent 
my steps towards this humble abode of pleasure. 



FEOM EASTERN EUltOPE. 37 



CHAPTEE III. 



EOZSA SANDOR. 



The Csdrda, which since the appearance of the 
musicians had become additionally attractive to 
sight-seekers as well as to lovers of the dance, was 
situated about half-a-mile distant from the landing 
place. This building, like many others of the 
same kind in the Puszt^w&s whitewashed, thatched 
with reeds, and consisted of two rooms, separated 
by a kitchen. Before the door of the spacious drink- 
ing room, a verandah covered with branches of 
willow was erected to shelter the guests from rain 
or sun. To the posts of this verandah several sad- 
dled horses were tied. A crowd of traders, chiefly 
Slovacks, thronged against the open door, in order 
to enjoy the unusual spectacle of merry-making 
among herdsmen. I had some trouble in finding 
my way into the house, which was dimly lighted up 
by a few tallow candles, rendered still more ob- 
scure by the cloud of smoke issuing from the pipes 

E 



38 EITKAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

of the numerous guests. Just within the door I 
met a group of pretty peasant girls, awaiting a 
summons to join the dance, and chatting with happy 
faces and sparkling eyes. "With the exception 
of some traders, the Csdrda was filled with herds- 
men, who sat at long tables placed against the walls, 
drinking their wine from bottles or jugs, smoking 
short pipes, and silently listening to the music. 
Each of them bore in his stoic and proud appear- 
ance the stamp of an indomitable will. Their looks 
were full of courage and self-confidence; their 
swarthy features expressive of nobleness and energy, 
and their forms full of strength and beauty. They 
mostly wore boad-brimmed hats, and over their 
long-sleeved shirts, richly embroidered white bor- 
nouses, hanging lightly from one shoulder. Around 
the great round oven sat the gipsies, with violin, 
clarionet, and cymbal, in their worn, torn, and 
grotesque attire, looking the very picture of di- 
lapidation, and playing with inspired mien the 
air of a favourite Csdrclds. In the midst of the 
large room several couples were dancing. As the 
music went on the numbers of dancers increased, 
the animating melodies seizing irresistibly upon 
the feelings of the guests. Every now and then 
one jumped up from his seat, and beckoning to a 
maiden from the group wishfully waiting in the 



FEOH EASTEKN EUROPE. 39 

door- way, joined the rest of the dancers ; until at 
length a very small space remained for the last 
comers. In a narrow circle each pair enjoyed the 
pleasure of the moment, and yielded with all their 
hearts to the charm of the tones ; now and then 
giving vent to their joy in loud exclamations. At 
the end of the dance, each man lifted his partner 
in the air, and the couples then separated ; the 
men returning to their seats, and the girls mingling 
with their less fortunate companions. 

When the middle of the room was tolerably clear, 
a man stepped forward, and throwing his hat and 
bornous on the ground, challenged the gipsies with 
the call: — "Now, fellows, strike up my note!" 

The man was young, of middle stature, and mus- 
cular frame ; his black hair was cut short ; his grave, 
pale face, with small moustache, had a striking ex- 
pression of sadness ; yet his eyes were like burning 
coals, and glanced restlessly from one object to 
another. He wore dark-blue jacket and trousers, 
covered with braid, and swung in his right-hand a 
heavy axe like the tomahawk of the American 
Indian ; a sign that he belonged to the class of 
KandszoJc, or swinekeepers. 

Whether the gipsies knew him and his note, or 
whether they merely guessed his taste from his ex- 
terior, they immediately struck up an air, whose 



40 BUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

sweet melancholy tones, it was plain, met with his 
full approbation. The Kanasz beckoned no maiden 
to his side, but alone went through the mazes of the 
dance, which he performed with such consummate 
skill that all eyes turned admiringly upon him. It 
was the Kanasz dance. The artistic movements of 
his feet were seconded by the dexterity with which 
he whirled the axe round his head, and threw it 
into the air to the measure of the music. As he 
proceeded, he became more and more excited : and 
the guests, attracted by his animated movements, 
formed a circle round him, which I saw increased 
by some Pandurs, who had entered the room un- 
noticed. They looked inquiringly into the dancer's 
face, and whispered significantly to each other. 

At length the dance was over. The Kanasz, who 
during the performance had no thought for what 
was going on in the room, now cast a scrutinizing 
glance around, and met the eyes of the Pandurs 
fixed upon him. He called to the host, with a 
careless mien, for a jug of wine, and went slowly 
through the crowd, as if he were looking for some 
one, taking good care not to come in contact with 
the minions of justice. He thus reached the ve- 
randah before the Pandurs could approach him. A 
few minutes later, the tramping of a horse was 
heard in the court-yard, and directly after the 



FEOM EASTEBN EUROPE. 41 

report of a gun. The people rushed out of the 
room ; I, of course, was one of the number. There 
we saw by the light of the rising moon a rider, 
who called out : " Eozsa Sandor wishes the worthy 
Pandurs a very good night !" In this rider, without 
hat and bornous, I easily recognized the solo- 
dancer of the drinking-room. 

The witnesses of this extraordinary scene ex- 
pressed, in their countenances and exclamations, 
mixed feelings of terror, astonishment and pleasure. 
All ran to and fro in great excitement and confu- 
sion; the Pandurs were the first to jump upon their 
horses, in order to pursue, and, if possible, to catch 
the redoubtable Szegeny Legeny. But by the time 
they had succeeded in making their way through the 
crowd, Eozsa had already disappeared amongst carts, 
tents, and cattle, in the direction of the Theiss. 
I hastened with the others to the river, to witness 
the pursuit, and came up just in time to see how 
rider and steed struggled through the turbulent 
stream towards the opposite shore. 

" He cannot hold out long against the agitated 
waters !" exclaimed an anxious voice near me. 
" Look there, how raqidly the stream bears him 
down!" And, indeed, Eozsa for a moment disap- 
peared under a mighty wave. 

"His doom is sealed!" cried another, as the 

e2 



42 RURAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

Pandurs, who had just arrived, fired their carabines 
and pistols at him : " he has gone down !" But he 
had only dived to escape the bullets. He rose 
again, and became more and more indistinct as he 
swam onwards. 

" Never fear for his life," said the deep, quiet 
voice of a herdsman to a group of his comrades. 
" I rather think this is not the first time he swims 
across the Theiss. He is well acquainted with the 
river, and his horse could carry him even through 
the sea, without endangering his life." The man 
was right, for we could just distinguish that horse 
and rider had, after a hard struggle, gained the op- 
posite shore, and in a few seconds entirely disap- 
peared from our sight. 

My curiosity was particularly excited by this 
adventure. Though I had already heard of the 
daring feats of this Szegeny Legeny, still I wished 
to gather some further information about him. As 
I was aware that old Istok, in his capacity of ferry- 
man, must come in contact with all kinds of people, 
of whom one or other might accidentally be a " poor 
fellow," I went up to the ferry, from whence the 
company, at the alarm, had dispersed ; so that, on 
my reaching his hut, only one of his mates sat at 
his side. 

" What a daring fellow that Eozsa Sandor is," 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 43 

said I ; " did you see, Istok Bdty&m, how boldly he 
plunged into the river, and swam to the other 
bank ? " 

"There is nothing surprising in this, when you 
consider his other achievements," he replied, 
quietly. 

" Well, Istok, you will greatly oblige me by tell- 
ing me something of them. You are, of course, 
acquainted with Eozsa, are you not ?" I inquired. 

The old man looked at me with a searching side- 
glance, and said cautiously : " I have heard of him, 
now and then." 

'■ No doubt you have, and perhaps during stormy 
weather he may occasionally have passed the night 
at the ferry ? " 

" I should have more than enough to do if I were 
to ask every traveller his name," was the laconic 
reply. 

" Do not look so innocent, old fox ; I am sure 
you are as good friends with him as with every 
* poor fellow' who passes by the Csurgo. You need 
not conceal it from me; I am the very last who 
would betray you. Come, my good fellow, tell me 
all you know of Eozsa Sandor, and the next time I 
come this way I will bring you a cask full of the 
best Erlauwine." 

"Well," said Istok, after some reflection, and 



44 BUBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

exchanging a look of intelligence "with his mate, 
" you are neither a County Judge nor a Pandur. 
You will not bring any trouble upon my head. 
You know, sir, I live from my business, and I can- 
not shut my door against any one who knocks: 
what do I care, either, for the affairs of the county ? 
I have to pay my rent, and must get it from travel- 
lers. Eozsa pays me as well as another ; and you 
may depend upon it, sir, in spite of the bad reputa- 
tion he has in the world, he is not a bit worse than 
he was before that fatal affray. He does no harm 
to any one, who does not molest him ; and he 
would have often delivered himself up to the hands 
of justice if they would have promised to spare his 
life. But they would not treat with an outlaw, and 
so he is compelled to lead a roving life." 

" "What brought him into such trouble r" I asked. 

" Some men have ill-luck in everything they come 
in contact with," said Istok, gravely. " Eozsa 
should never have been a swinekeeper; should 
never have touched an axe ! His godfather, a ma- 
gistrate of Szeged, wanted to make him a learned 
man ; but Eozsa preferred the Puszta and liberty 
to books and a study, and escaped from the town 
to his father, who lived on his Tanya, in that neigh- 
bourhood, and was a wealthy swinekeeper. There 
the son tended his fathers herds. He was withal 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 45 

a gentle, pleasing youth, and had only the one 
fault, that he liked to go to the nearest Csarda 
better than minding his business. There he be- 
came enamoured of the host's daughter. Unfortu- 
nately for him, the girl was also courted by another 
Kandsz. The rivals often quarrelled about her. 
Once, when Eozsa could no longer bear the seeming 
success of his comrade, he challenged him to arrange 
their differences at another Csarda. You know, 
sir, this is the custom of herdsmen when they have 
any quarrel to settle. After the second bottle, 
Eozsa desired his adversary to give up the girl : 
the other refused with vehemence, and after a few 
sharp words they came to blows. They fought a 
fearful battle with their axes. Heated by wine and 
passion, they heeded neither wounds nor the inter- 
ference of their comrades, until Eozsa slew his 
rival. He certainly had committed a homicide; 
yet he did it after the fashion of many gentlemen, 
who in cold blood kill each other in duels, without 
being molested by justice. Eozsa, however, not 
being of high birth, had to suffer for this deed. 
His repentance was of no avail ; he durst not return 
again to his herd, and so he became a Szegeny 
Legeny. Prom that time he was hunted from 
county to county ; from Tanya to Tanya : but the 
hotter the pursuit, the more skilfully he eluded the 



46 EUEAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

vigilance of the Pandurs, and the more boldly he 
carried out his schemes. He never robbed from 
inclination, but only when despair drove him to it. 
He sometimes so entirely forgets his situation that, 
as was the case to-day, he has often been within an 
ace of being taken. His presence of mind and 
courage, however, have up to this time always 
helped him out of his difficulties. He says there 
are many places where he could hide himself, and 
where he might remain unknown ; but after every 
attempt his yearning for home leads him back to 
the Puszta. Once, when his pursuers pressed hard 
upon him, he concealed himself here under a pile of 
nets. Careworn and miserable as he looked, I 
frankly own, I had no heart to refuse him shelter. 
A short time after, the Pandurs came up, and sat 
themselves down upon the very heap of nets. They 
related their fruitless expeditions, and their future 
plau of pursuit. Eozsa remained quietly in his 
hiding-place until the Pandurs set out again ; he 
then escaped in another direction to the JPuszta. 
His various contrivances, which he performs with 
the quickness of lightning, now here, now there, 
have gained him great celebrity. People speak of 
him with a mixed feeling of awe and admiration, 
asserting, through black and white, that he is in 
league with the devil, and believing that his horse, 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 47 

a small but fleet beast — he calls it Bogar — which 
carried him over the Theiss this night, is the 
Prince of Evil personified. All I know of him is, 
that he is sword and bullet proof; as was the case 
with several of my comrades in our regiment during 
the French war. They stood laughing and joking 
amidst the fire of the enemy, as safe as if they had 
been seated by their own firesides, whilst the men, 
right and left, fell like flies after the first frost. 
Kozsa thinks that the hemp is not yet grown which 
is to make the rope to hang him ; and when you 
have heard the following account of his marvellous 
good luck, you will not any longer be astonished at 
his temerity. 

" About two years since, Eozsa rashly went with 
another comrade into the Gyilkos-Csarda, near to 
Szalonta. Several Pandurs, roving in pursuit of 
him, were accidentally in the village. By some 
chance or other, the presence of these ' poor fel- 
lows ' in the Csdrda was betrayed. Summoning a 
number of the inhabitants to their assistance, the 
Pandurs immediately set out to surprise them ; 
which, owing to the dusk of the evening, they suc- 
ceeded in so perfectly, that Eozsa was surrounded 
before he was aware of the danger. Seeing that his 
moments were probably numbered, he decided with 
his companion to fight hard for their lives. The 



48 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

challenge to surrender they answered with shots, 
and fired from the small windows of the room. The 
besiegers returned the fire, but without effect. After 
a protracted skirmish, a Pandur, once an Hussar — 
I knew the poor fellow well — took a decided step. 
He rushed against the door of the Csdrda, and, 
forcing it open, shot down Eozsa's comrade, who 
defended it ; whereupon the Pandur sprang into the 
room, and attacked Rozsa with his second pistol. 
He had, however, no time to fire it off, for the latter 
forestalled him, and felled him to the ground. 

" In spite of the momentary advantage, Sandor 
presently saw that single-handed he could no longer 
defend windows and doors, as his pursuers, encou- 
raged by the Pandur's successful attack, were 
pressing towards the entrance of the room. '■ I will 
at least die in the open air,' thought Rozsa ; and 
taking a pistol in either hand, he rushed against 
the foremost men, who at the sight of him, and still 
more at the report of his pistols, fell back as he ad- 
vanced. By this he gained time and space to retreat 
to the stable, close to the house, where his black 
horse was, and without the aid of which escape was 
impossible. Sandor happily reached the place, and 
shut the door behind him. After hastily saddling 
his trusty steed, he silently awaited the further de- 
velopment of affairs. He was not left long in sus- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 49 

pense, for the besiegers, seeing no end to the fight, 
quickly decided to finish it at a stroke ; they accord- 
ingly set fire to the roof of the stable, well aware 
that by this manoeuvre they made sure of their 
man, whether dead or alive. The interior soon 
filled with smoke, and the flames spread rapidly. 
In this emergency, Rozsa had no alternative but to 
be roasted alive, or meet the balls of the Pandurs 
and the iron forks of the peasants. He decided for 
the latter. As the heat became insupportable, he 
suddenly burst open the door, and, favoured by the 
dense smoke, vaulted upon Bogar before the amazed 
people could lay hands upon him. He afterwards 
said that, once upon his saddle, he felt there was no 
power on earth that could stop him. Pressing his 
spurs into the sides of the brave animal, he sprang 
into the midst of the crowd, receiving a whole dis- 
charge of muskets in his face ; but the bullets, of 
course, whistled past without harming him. After 
breaking the line of the besiegers, he had still to 
surmount the greatest impediment. On galloping 
towards the gate, he found it shut ; and the court- 
yard being surrounded by a high wall, every hope 
of escape seemed suddenly cut off. Despair, how- 
ever, gives superhuman strength. Rider and steed 
felt that life and death hung upon a single moment, 
and made a desperate attempt ; impossible as it ap- 



50 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

peared, they cleared the wall, and thus escaped safe 
to the Puszta." 

I thanked Istok for his account of Rozsa's adven- 
tures, and as it was late I left the ferry, and went 
in search of my carriage, where I meant to spend 
the rest of the night. The wind had already gone 
down, and heavy clouds began to darken the horizon. 
The raging of the storm was followed by that pecu- 
liar silence which usually reigns over the Puszta, 
and which was increased by the stillness of night. 
Even the lulling whisper of the reeds, the occa- 
sional sound of the bells of grazing cattle, or the 
distant barking of dogs, did not dispel the melan- 
choly impression it produced. The silence, however, 
lasted but a short time. Scarcely were the traders 
aware of the favourable change in the weather than 
they all began to bestir themselves, each trying to 
be amongst the first to cross ; till at length the 
landing-place was completely blocked up by a maze 
of waggons. There, by the light of two mighty 
fires, kindled on either shore, Istok was already 
hard at work. But the throng was so great that I 
had to wait for many hours before I w r as fortunate 
enough to pass over the Hungarian Rubicon. 

A year after this adventure, I again visited the 
Puszta and the ferry of Csurgo. It was in October, 
1848. Since that time an astonishing change had 



JTKOM EASTERN EITROPE. 51 

taken place in the aspect of that part of the coun- 
try. The solitude was transformed into a vast 
moving scene ; into a camp, extending on all sides 
far beyond the sight. It seemed as if the inhabit- 
ants, all at once increased to ten times their usual 
number, had determined upon a fresh migration. 
The plain swarmed with busy groups and troops, 
together with long caravans of armed men, horses 
and carts ; all speeding on westwards ; all decked 
out with nosegays and ribbons ; shouting and sing- 
ing in their enthusiasm, as if going to a wedding 
feast, instead of to the battle-field. This strange 
and gigantic tide of people had been called forth by 
these magic words : " The fatherland is in danger," 
which had been pronounced by the Diet and echoed 
in every Magyar breast. The Croatian invasion, 
in September, found the land unprotected. But 
Kossuth knew all was not yet lost, and hastened to 
the Puszta and the Theiss, where the pulsation of 
the nation's life is the strongest. The words of 
patriotic inspiration which flowed from the lips of 
their chief roused the people, one and all, to deeds 
without precedent. As in former times, a blood- 
stained sword was carried about to call the men to 
arms ; so a red flag was now hoisted in every com- 
munity, to announce that a national struggle was 
at hand. The ancient banners of Bocskay and 



52 RURAL AKD HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Rakoczi were again unfurled, and the arms hal- 
lowed by former battles for freedom were taken 
from their resting-places. Each man who could 
carry a gun enlisted as a volunteer ; it was a dis- 
grace to remain at home ! 

With great difficulty I made my way along the 
obstructed roads, and at length arrived at the land- 
ing-place. Not finding Istok in the ferry-boat, I 
went to his hut, and saw, at the first glance, that 
there also events had influenced the pursuits of its 
inmate. Istok the ferryman had disappeared, and 
in his place sat the Hussar of former days, in blue 
garments, richly ornamented with red braid. His 
moustache was well waxed, his face looked younger, 
and his eyes glistened with unusual animation. He 
was just then busy polishing a sword. I was not 
less surprised at the sight of his companion, who, 
stretched upon a fur, was smoking his pipe with a 
very contented and equally animated mien. In this 
man I thought I recognised the redoubtable B-ozsa 
Sandor. 

""Well, how are you, Istok ?" I asked. " It ap- 
pears to me, from what I see, that you intend once 
more to fight your way to the end of the world." 

" Yes, sir, you have guessed correctly," he said, 
after a hearty greeting. " I am setting out again ; 
but it is now for a higher stake than the throne of 



TBOH EASTEBN EUROPE. 53 

an emperor, and for a better reward than a few 
kreutzers. .Now, we are not going to fight for our 
king, but for our fatherland, against a rebel sove- 
reign." 

" How so, Istok 1 Have affairs come to that at 
last ? Is the country really in such danger ?" 

" Danger enough to bring us all to our saddles," 
replied the Hussar. " High people in Vienna sing 
quite a new song, or, if you will, an old one, for 
our Hungarian ears, and would like to make us 
dance to it once again. You know, sir, the king 
has become a traitor, and sold us to the Croats, 
who, with a great army, advanced as far as Pakozd, 
in order to rob us of our dear Puszta." 

" I suppose, at your age, you are exempt from 
military service ? " 

" How so ?" asked Istok, astonished. "Do you 
think I could remain quietly here whilst young and 
old hasten past me to meet the invaders ? If I were 
dead, sir, I would rise from my grave to show the 
young fellows how in olden times we used to wield 
our swords." 

" And are you really decided upon bearing arms 
against your sovereign ?" 

" He is as little a sovereign for me now as the 
stork there upon the moor!" exclaimed Istok, in a 

jt2 



54 ETJEAL AKD HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

passion, and making a stroke in the air with his 
sword. " He has broken his oath and betrayed ns, 
although we stood, with such unshaken fidelity, at 
his side in his adverse fortune. I was certainly, till 
now, one of his best friends, for I would have 
jumped into the fire for him ; but that is past for 
ever. He may picture to himself as many Hussars 
as he likes upon the walls of his Burg : from the 
Puszta he will never get another. That I can as- 
sure you, and him too ! And without Hussars he 
and his realm are worth nothing !" 

" And who will care for the ferry in your ab- 
sence ?" 

" Oh, our women, to be sure," he replied. " They 
will manage that business will enough for the few 
passengers that will fall in their way, for the best 
of them have already crossed. Our watchword is 
now ' Forward, from the Theiss over the Danube !' " 

" Do you remember my companion here ?" asked 
Istok, after a pause, pointing to the silent man upon 
the fur. " He is Rozsa Sandor, the same who last 
year swam on horseback across the river." 

" Is it not hazardous for him to show himself so 
openly ?" I inquired. 

"^Nb ; I am glad to say that for a month they 
have ceased to pursue him," remarked Istok. 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 55 

" Now, Sandor, tell this gentleman yourself how 
you obtained your amnesty. You will give the 
best account of your own affairs." 

"I need not tell you," began B-ozsa, filling his 
pipe anew, " how sad the life of an outlaw is ; par- 
ticularly when he feels that he deserved perhaps 
not the whole rigour of his fate, and would gladly 
live amongst honest people. I was the most miser- 
able man upon earth. Tou may, therefore, ima- 
gine my joy when I heard of the general rising of 
the people along the banks of the Theiss and 
Danube against the rebel Serbians and invading 
Croats. I held a consultation with my conscience, 
and found that my forfeited life might yet be of 
some use, if I could sacrifice it in the service of 
my beloved country. In this conviction I sent a 
friend with a petition for an amnesty to the magis- 
trate of Szeged, promising at the same time to re- 
cruit a body of riders from the Puszta, and lead 
them against the enemy. My petition was laid 
before the Ministry, and towards the middle of 
September an amnesty was granted and sanctioned 
by the king. Hereupon I repaired to Szeged, and 
there in the market-place my pardon was read to 
me. I swore to God, before a countless number 
of people, to live and die honourably for my father- 
land ; and I will keep my oath till I breathe my 



56 BUBAL AND niSTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

last ! To morrow I shall march with eighty brave 
fellows, mounted and armed, to parade them before 
the Ministry at Pesth, and to make known that 
they have already distinguished themselves in three 
encounters with the Serbians." 

In a few days Istok set out for his last campaign, 
as bearer of the old standard of Bocskay, with a 
division of cavalry, He valiantly fulfilled his pa- 
triotic duty, and fell in battle on the Bakos-field, 
in defence of his trust, against the Austrian cui- 
rassiers. His brave colonel came too late to save 
his life : he, however, rescued his body and the 
standard from the grasp of the enemy. There was 
not one in the corps who knew old Istok, that did 
not shed a tear to his memory. We almost think 
it was better for him that he went to rest before 
the downfall of his country. His heart would 
break now, if he knew that at the ferry of Csurgo, 
near his dilapidated hut, a new building has sprung 
up which serves as a lurking-place for six Austrian 
gendarmes. 



TEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 57 



CHAPTER IY. 

AFTER THE WAE. 

Opposite the ancient and royal city of Buda, 
whose shattered walls and houses still bear mani- 
fest traces of the late war, lies Pesth, the present 
capital of Hungary. This town, even half a cen- 
tury back, of very modest pretensions, has within 
the last twenty years developed itself in a most 
surprising manner. The mystery thereof may be 
set down to the fact of its having been drawn into 
the magic circle of commercial progress. 

From its extremely favourable position on the 
left bank of the Danube, midway between the 
western continent with its increasing demands, 
and the eastern provinces with their inexhaustible 
natural riches, Pesth must naturally have become 
the centre of a flourishing trade as soon as she 
possessed the means of rapid and easy communica- 
tion. The launching of the first steam-boat there 
was the commencement of a new era. From that 



58 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

moment commerce and industry increased with 
gigantic strides, pouring wealth into Pesth by a 
thousand hitherto unknown channels. Both the 
population and the town prospered in equal pro- 
portion. Massive granite quays were lined with a 
succession of gorgeous palaces. Dockyards sprung 
up ; a magnificent suspension bridge spanned the 
Danube ; and a hundred other improvements fol- 
lowed, bearing ample testimony to the country's 
material as well as intellectual development, even 
in spite of Austria, that eternal eclipse to civilisa- 
tion. It is still worthy of remark that the town, 
on the side nearest the immediate influence of pro- 
gress and enterprise — namely its western front 
towards the Danube — offers striking proofs of 
their beneficial and refining effect; while to the 
east and south, where it is bounded by the Puszta, 
as if under the spell of the unadorned yet vigor- 
ous nature that reigns there, Pesth is remarkable 
for the same simplicity which characterises the 
primitive sons of the steppes, who meet there for 
the purposes of trade. 

A stroll to that part of the town on a market- 
day, which occurs twice every week, is well repaid 
by the novelty of the scene. In the extensive 
markets filled with cattle, grain, and the various 
raw produce of the Puszta and the farther pro- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 53 

vinces of the East, may be seen thousands of the 
best specimens of the Hungarian tribes, transact- 
ing business amongst themselves, as well as with 
Serbians, Wallacks, Turks, Germans, and other 
races, as diverse in their attire as in their lan- 
guage ; and who, in default of a better medium of 
intercourse, resort to the most natural one, that of 
signs. 

Towards the end of November, 1853, having 
some affairs to settle in the south of the Puszta, I 
betook myself to the market-places just mentioned, 
with the view of engaging the conveyance of one 
of those traders, who, having brought their products 
from thence to Pesth for sale, generally return 
home with empty carts, this being the easiest and 
most expeditious means of travelling to that part 
of the steppes ; as, up to this day, neither railways 
nor stage coaches have penetrated those districts. 

I was fortunate enough to find a Kumanier in 
one of the inns on the Soroksar road. He hap- 
pened to live in the vicinity of the very place for 
which I was bound, and was moreover just on the 
point of setting out on his homeward journey. 

" I hear you are from the south, my good man," 
said I to the trader, whom the waiter had pointed 
out to me in the tap-room. " Will you give me a 
lift in your waggon as far as your village ?" 



60 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

The man, a stalwart elderly Hungarian, dressed 
in a bunda, his swarthy countenance shaded by a 
broad-brimmed hat, on hearing himself addressed 
in a foreign accent, cast an inquiring glance at me, 
and, while twisting his long moustaches, he asked 
me abruptly who I was ? 

" An Englishman." 

At this announcement a change instantly came 
over the Magyar's face. The suspicious expression 
vanished before a warm ray of genuine cordiality 
and pleasure. The man rose from his seat, and, 
taking off his hat, said, with much deference in his 
manner, " Grod bless you, sir ; you belong to that 
noble nation who so hospitably received and still 
entertain my unhappy exiled brothers. I will 
gladly take you with me as far as you like to go." 

"And what is your charge ?" 

" What is my charge ?" rejoined the trader, with 
a proud and half-offended air. " Now, tell me, sir, 
would it be fair of me to take money from an 
Englishman for such a trifle ? No, no ; it would 
be downright ingratitude. Travel in my cart 
where you will, and moreover be my guest, if it 
pleases you to tarry under my humble roof; but 
never ask me again what is my charge !" 

Thus matters being arranged, with a dispatch 
outstripping all my expectations, I found myself 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 61 

on the following morning already on the road to 
the Puszta, seated on a heap of fragrant hay, and 
borne rapidly onwards by four fleet horses. By 
the side of my worthy conductor was a young man, 
who, I observed, had but one arm. Imagining 
that he might have lost it in battle, I inquired 
whether he had taken part in the late war. 

"Yes, G-azsi was a Honved !" replied Lazar, the 
trader, with a proud glance at his son. His arm 
was shot off at the storming of yon fortress," he 
added, turning round and pointing with his whip 
in the direction of Buda; which, with the sur- 
rounding chain of mountains, ending in the steep 
and rugged rock called the " Blocksberg," form an 
extremely picturesque background to the flatly 
situated metropolis. 

" But you do not fret at the loss of your arm, 
Gazsi?" 

"No, father," was the ready reply. "I lost it 
in my country's service, and here is still another," 
stretching out his right arm, " with which, God 
willing, I will yet pay back the Austrians for the 
loss of the other !" 

We had not quite traversed the Eakos-field, 
which commences at the outskirts of the town, 
and where in former times the numerous nobility, 
armed and mounted, were wont to assemble, to 

G 



62 KUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

hold their diets and to elect their kings, when, as if 
in derision of those lofty historical remembrances, 
several gendarmes, armed to the teeth, rushed out 
of a Csdrda, and, seizing the horses, demanded our 
passports. Lazar made a sign that he could not 
understand German ; whereupon they repeated 
their demand in bad Hungarian. After satisfying 
themselves as to his papers, the gendarmes in- 
quired who I was. 

"An Englishman!" answered Lazar fiercely. 

" An Englishman ! " echoed the sergeant ; " pro- 
bably one of those emissaries whom the rebels in 
London are constantly pestering us with. Well, 
this is a matter for investigation, and I shall im- 
mediately inform our lieutenant of it." With this 
he retraced his steps to the Csdrda, his comrades 
guarding the waggon, lest I should attempt to 
make my escape. In a short time the officer made 
his appearance and examined my passport. He 
asked me several invidious questions, and at last 
reluctantly dismissed me, with a warning not to 
set foot again upon the Puszta under similar sus- 
picious circumstances. 

" Such is the insulting treatment we are now 
compelled to endure!" exclaimed the trader, after 
putting his horses into a gallop, to get as quickly as 
possible out of the reach of those vultures, as he 



FEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 63 

called the gendarmes. " With one hand they hold 
us by the throat ; and with the other they empty our 
pockets. "What a difference between former and 
present times !" "With an uncommonly vigorous 
oath, called forth by his rising indignation, Lazar 
hereupon administered a smart lash to his innocent 
steeds, who, not accustomed to such treatment, tore 
along, until pastures and heath, herds and draw- 
wells, flew dancing by in rapid succession. 

During this race I lighted a cigar, and offered 
one to old Lazar. He, however, declined taking it. 
As I had seen him smoking a pipe just before, I 
was anxious to know the cause of his refusal. 
" It was not from any wish to offend you that I 
declined, sir," he rejoined, a cloud suddenly over- 
casting his honest features ; " but, since the Aus- 
trians have even forbidden us the free use of our 
own tobacco, unless we sell it at a very low price 
to them and buy it back for six times that amount, 
we have given up both the growth and use of it in 
our community." 

"I understand; but what have you just been 
smoking ? " 

" Nothing but vine leaves steeped in a decoction 
of plums ; a poor substitute indeed for tobacco, but 
still they give out smoke, and — this dreadful state 
of things cannot last much longer! " 



64 ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

" Do you think so ? " 

" Yes ; I am sure of it. The best proof is, that 
the Austrians, in spite of their pretended sway- 
over the land, are afraid of us. Even in broad 
daylight their people always go out in troops armed 
with guns and swords. Yet, not a week passes 
that one or other of them does not suddenly dis- 
appear. Their fear is carried to such a pitch," he 
added, with a contemptuous wave of the hand, 
" that about a year ago they even took our saddles 
away, lest we should change over night into Hus- 
sars ; into avengers of our fatherland. But how 
can that avail them ? They cannot tear out our 
hearts, and in them lie their bitterest foes." 

I could well comprehend that those much de- 
tested tools of Austrian justice had an instinctive 
dread of meeting the wrath of a discontented 
people on the solitary Puszta. The mighty ocean 
never produced an impression at once more wild 
and desolate, than did the interminable steppes at 
the time of my traversing them. The sky, of a 
dull leaden hue, seemed to press downwards upon 
the parched plains, which stretched away in sad, 
fatiguing uniformity, till horizon and sky were 
blended into one. Through the hazy atmosphere 
the poles of the draw-wells looked like so many 
masts of stranded ships ; the herds of white cattle, 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 65 

which now and then crossed our track at full speed, 
seemed twice their ordinary size, the illusion of the 
moment lending to them the appearance of so many 
huge spectres ; and the plaintive tones of a shep- 
herd's shalm, that at intervals mingled with the 
distant bells of the flocks, sounded almost unearthly, 
as they came and went on the wings of the wind. 

As twilight approached two horsemen dashed 
past in anxious haste, taking no farther notice of 
us than by a hurried return of Lazar's loud 
greeting. 

" Poor lads ! " he muttered with a sigh. 
"They were formerly Honveds, sir," he said, in 
reply to my question as to who they were. " Now 
they are outlaws, because they refuse on any terms 
to be pressed into the Austrian service." The 
trader had scarcely satisfied my curiosity, when 
a troop of riders were seen emerging from the in- 
creasing darkness. This time they proved to be 
seven armed gendarmes, who no sooner caught 
sight of us than they stopped and surrounded our 
waggon. After carefully examining our passports 
and every corner of the vehicle, in quest of a stray 
Honved or something worse, they questioned Lazar 
as to whether he had seen a couple of horsemen, 
and which direction they had taken. 

&2 



66 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

" They rode over there to the right," he replied. 
u You may soon overtake them if you can put any 
mettle into those worn-out hacks of yours.' ' 

The men set off in the direction pointed out, and 
were presently out of sight. 

" Tou have put them on a wrong scent, my good 
man: the Honveds turned off to the left." 

" Do you suppose, sir, I would betray my own 
countrypeople to such highwaymen ? Not the 
poorest amongst us would sell his brother for all 
the treasures of their emperor. And a Honved 
finds ready shelter everywhere." 

As the full darkness of night set in, Lazar 
turned the horses from the track which had guided 
us up to this time, and slackened his hold of the 
reins, saying that it was of no use trying to drive 
them any longer ; they would find their own way 
to night-quarters better than he. The docile 
animals thus left to themselves went on at a good 
pace, taking a track which they had doubtless often 
trodden before ; for in about half an hour the 
barking of dogs greeted our ears, which became 
every moment more distinct ; until the steeds sud- 
denly stopped in front of a high gate, against which 
the dogs sprang furiously. After a while a deep 
voice called the dogs to order, and then inquired 
who we were and what we wanted. 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 67 

"I am Lazar, from Nem-kell-Kiraly ! " Here- 
upon the gate was thrown open, and we drove 
under an arched gateway into the court-yard of a 
Tanya. Presently a couple of men came forth and 
busied themselves with unharnessing the horses, 
while we groped our way with half a dozen large 
growling shepherd's dogs at our heels towards the 
dwelling, guided by a light held by some unseen 
hand in the door- way of the house. This door led 
into the kitchen, and from thence we entered by 
another into the large dwelling-room, which was 
sparingly lighted by a tallow candle. In one 
corner was an enormous oven, heated with a fuel 
of reeds, which a boy continually supplied through 
an opening in the kitchen. In another corner 
stood a bedstead piled-up to the ceiling with 
feather-beds and bolsters; a few benches ranged 
along the white-washed walls, and a long oaken 
table, completed the scanty furniture of the room. 
Upon the bench near the oven sat the wife of the 
Gazda, busy with her distaff and spindle. 

" Isten Jiozott ! G-od brings you," said a man 
enveloped in a bunda to Lazar, at the same time 
slightly raising his hat. After a cordial greeting, 
and questions as to health and flocks, the Gazda 
cast an inquiring glance at me. 

"You need not fear him, Daruszm"— namesake 



68 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

— said my driver, with a nod of his head ; " he is 
an Englishman, and consequently our friend." 

No sooner had I been introduced under that pro- 
pitious appellation, than the Qazda welcomed me 
with another and very hearty " Isten hozottV bid- 
ding me take the warmest corner at the oven, with- 
out farther inquiry as to my name or business. 

Such unbounded confidence speaks volumes for the 
respect in which the people of England are held by 
the Hungarians ; and it certainly calls forth a feeling 
of pride and satisfaction, that the very name of an 
Englishman, at least in that country, suffices to 
identify you with all that is noble and honest. 

"Excuse my boldness, sir," began the Gazda ; 
"but, as you are an Englishman, you perhaps know 
or have heard something of our exiled brethren in 
your land. Can you tell me what they are doing ? 
Do they still hope to return to us once more r" 

I explained to him, that for many years I had 
lived at Pesth, and consequently, much to my regret, 
could not supply him with the wished-for informa- 
tion. 

" I should, sir, beyond all others, have liked to 
know the fate of my landlord, a kind gentleman of 
the name of Szoroi," said the Gazda. " He was 
driven with the rest from Hungary, and now he has 
lost his whole fortune : and his poor lady, too ; 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 69 

oh, what misery !" There was a momentary pause, 
filled up with the genuine expressions of regret 
From the herdsman and his friend ; and then the 
Gazda again inquired whether the great Pal Mester 
was still living? 

On expressing my ignorance of that name, 
he asked, somewhat puzzled, if I did not know 
my own minister ? It then occurred to me 
that he possibly alluded to Lord Palmerston,* 
which really was the case ; and I gratified his 
curiosity as far as it lay in my power. Meanwhile 
the wife of the Gazda, whom Lazar called Orzsi 
Neni — sister Elise, — after a short absence in the 
kitchen, reappeared, and, wiping the table with 
her apron, spread a white cloth upon it, and pro- 
duced a dozen wooden spoons and a green earthen- 
ware plate ; the latter, together with a knife and fork, 
being destined for my especial use. These prelimi- 
naries completed, she served up a huge bowl of reek- 
ing Gulyas-Jius, consisting of well-spiced meat finely 
minced, several jugs of milk, and a cheese. Behind 
the hostess came eight sturdy fellows in fur cloaks 
and hats. In grave and slow manner they spoke 

* The name of Palmerston, under the popular denomination 
of Pal Mester, is familiar to every one in Hungary; the 
peasantry especially looking upon him as the great supporter 
of their country's cause. 



70 BTIRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

the usual " Grod give you a good evening ;" and, at 
the summons of the Gazda, we all, with the excep- 
tion of Orzsi JVeni, seated ourselves at the long 
table. The host, doffing his hat, the rest following 
his example, said the short but impressive grace, 
" God bless our evening meal," and began the at- 
tack by taking his share of the immense loaf, which 
must have weighed about fifteen pounds. It was 
then passed from hand to hand, each man cutting 
off a mighty slice with the clasp-knife hanging from 
his belt, till it had made the round of the table and 
returned, greatly diminished in size, to the starting 
point. Beside the Gulyds-hus, the hostess provided 
me with some right savoury sausages and a jug of 
wine. 

" I have nothing better to offer you to drink, 
sir," said the Gazda apologetically. " Since the Aus- 
trians have laid so heavy a tax upon wine, we have 
neglected our vineyards on the Puszta, as their pro- 
duce does not pay the expenses now." 

During the meal, the men seldom spoke ; and, as 
soon as the bowl was emptied, they again donned 
their hats and seated themselves round the oven. 

" Whose turn is it to mount guard to-night ?" 
asked the Gazda of his lads. One of them presently 
started to his feet and silently made his exit. 

" How fares the world with you, my lads ?" ex- 



FHOM EASTERN EUROPE. 71 

claimed Lazar to two men who sat at the farthest 
corner of the oven, and in whom I recognised the 
fugitive Honveds. " I thought you were at least 
ten miles south of this." 

"No, Bdtydm — brother; — we thought it safest 
to return to our beat. ur pursuers will look for us 
anywhere rather than here." 

" True ! And what are you about now ? How 
is your chief, Rozsa San dor ?" 

At the mention of the Hungarian Robin Hood, 
whose acquaintance I had made four years pre- 
viously under such peculiar circumstances, all my 
former curiosity revived. I felt the more interested 
in him as his irreproachable conduct, after he had 
received his amnesty, and his indomitable bravery 
during the war and subsequently, had greatly added 
to his popularity, and combined to invest his feats 
with something like the fascination of romance. My 
interest was still farther heightened by the fact, that 
the Austrian Government dreaded him sufficiently 
to set 1000Z. upon his head. On hearing the name 
of Edzsa Sandor, therefore, I made an involuntary 
exclamation, the cause of which having been ex- 
plained, I requested the Honveds to give me, as far 
as consistent with their chief's safety, an outline of 
his proceedings since our meeting at the Theiss 
ferry. 



12 BTJRAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

The elder of the Honveds readily complied with 
my request. " Many as the skirmishes have been," 
he began, " in which Rdzsa was an actor ; yet, from 
his possessing a charmed life, no harm has ever be- 
fallen him, and he has returned from the campaign 
without a wound." 

"What do you mean by his having a charmed 
life ?" 

" I mean," the Honved rejoined, " that no weapon 
or bullet w T ill hurt him, save those possessing a 
counter charm, made for example of peculiar mate- 
rial and at a certain time ; the secret of this coun- 
ter charm, however, being known solely to him 
and his wife, there can be no danger of the Aus- 
trians coming into the possession of it. At the 
close of the war, when Rozsa re-appeared on the 
Puszta, the enemy commenced a persecution against 
him on a grand scale. But he merely laughs at 
their threats, and follows up his own patriotic course 
with the same ardour as if his chief were dwelling 
in Pesth. By his unremitting energy he has already 
aided many a patriot, whose life was doomed, to 
escape from the prison in the !Neugebaude and to 
reach the frontiers. His other services to his 
country are of no less importance. During this 
time of disorder he has gradually organized a large 
body of undaunted fellows, who form a vast net, 



FBOM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 73 

extending from the Bakony Eorest to the borders 
of Transylvania ; and who execute his orders with 
a promptness and fidelity truly astonishing. He 
is chiefly inexorable against spies and gendarmes, 
who are the most active in bringing our patriots to 
the gallows, and few of them can save themselves 
from the grasp of Eozsa or his people." 

" But what will become of your fine country, if 
this state of things continues ?" 

"I cannot tell you," rejoined the Honved, with 
deep sadness in his voice and mien. " "We would 
willingly live in peace with the Austrians ; but they 
hunt us down like wild beasts. The only course 
left us, is to defend our individual independence ; 
and we will die rather than submit to slavery." 

" I am truly amazed how Eozsa manages to escape 
the continual vigilance of Government." 

" That is no such difficult matter after all. He, 
or rather the cause he fights for, has friends even in 
the public offices. The very functionaries, either 
from sympathy or for money, do every thing in 
their power to help Eozsa, and they forewarn him 
whenever any fresh persecution is in the wind. 
Thus he passes and re-passes, from Pesth to 
the Puszta, without fear or hindrance. Though 
he usually presses hard upon the enemies of 
public surety, yet at times he is magnanimous 



74 BUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

in the extreme; whereof I will give you a 
striking example. Not long ago, Eozsa had to 
carry despatches of the highest importance from 
Pesth to the Turkish borders. While away on his 
mission, his wife, as heroic a woman as ever lived 
on the Puszta, had the imprudence to show herself 
at the capital in open day. She was recognised by 
a gendarme, and arrested on the spot. Having 
for a fortnight in vain tortured her in the hope -of 
extorting from her the secrets of her husband, the 
Austrians shot the unfortunate woman at the 
Neugebaude. Had Eozsa returned while his wife's 
fate was pending, he might perhaps have been able 
to save her, to whom he was as fondly attached as 
to his country. Unfortunately he was detained 
on the frontiers and came back just too late. 
Eozsa betrayed by no outward sign the affliction 
that fell so heavily and unexpectedly upon him ; he 
merely avoided all society and became yet more 
thoughtful, and taciturn. In spite of his reserve, 
however, we saw that his mind was occupied by 
something besides his grief, and we were right in 
our supposition. At length, having desired us to 
await him at one of our meeting places, he started 
with several of his most determined followers for 
Pesth ; and after a few days' absence he suddenly 
dashed into our camp with a large bundle fastened 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 75 

to the front of his saddle. Behind him came his 
men, conducting a gendarme with pinioned arms. 
They must have ridden hard and long, for their 
horses were covered with foam. The chief looked 
fearfully wild and excited, and scarcely allowed him- 
self a moment's rest ere he called out: "To the 
reeds!" We all, to the number of about thirty, 
vaulted into our saddles and went forth in the dark 
night, like a band of spectres,- Eozsa, with his mys- 
terious burden, taking the lead on his indefatigable 
black charger, Bogar. A sharp ride of three hours 
brought us to the appointed place. "We dismounted, 
and, after kindling a large fire, we gathered round 
our chief, who, meanwhile, had partly taken off the 
covering from the bundle. And what do you think 
that bundle contained ? It contained the corpse ot 
Eozsa Sandor's wife. As the flickering glare of the 
watch-fire fell upon her ghastly countenance, she 
seemed to revive and move her lips, mute and closed 
though they were in death. It was a sight that 
thrilled through every heart, and one that will ever 
be remembered by those who witnessed it. Even 
Eozsa, with his unflinching spirit, was overpowered 
and sobbed like a child as he knelt by her side ; and 
we all wept with him, ay, all, not excepting the 
gendarme who betrayed her. "Well," sighed the 
Honved, after a, pause, while trying to stay the tears 



76 KTJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

which started to his eyes at that sad memory, — 
" Rozsa, after having in a measure recovered his 
usual austere composure, rose and told us that he had 
braved a tenfold death to rescue his wife's remains 
from the grasp of the Austrians, to have them at 
least buried in free soil. He then asked one of 
our comrades, an outlawed Protestant minister, to 
perform the service for the dead, at the conclusion 
of which we sang the 'National Anthem. When the 
grave was dug and the body laid in its last resting- 
place, Hozsa took his axe and raised it to strike the 
prisoner, who, more dead than alive, awaited his 
coming doom. But all at once a change came over 
our chief's spirit, his upraised arm fell harmless by 
his side, and, as if touched by his better angel, he 
exclaimed, with a softened expression in his iron 
features, { I came here with the intention of sacri- 
ficing you upon the very mound beneath which the 
happiness of my life lies buried. But, as the wrong 
you have perpetrated touches my person and not 
my country, I will avenge it in a manner worthy 
this solemn occasion. You have brought the great- 
est misery upon me, and, in exchange, I bestow on 
you the greatest blessing. I give you your life ! 
Bind up his eyes,' he said to one of his men, ■ and 
conduct him back to Pesth.' His command was 
executed to the letter. Near the capital the gen- 



FEOM EA.STEEST ETJBOPE. 77 

darme was restored to liberty, and we afterwards 
heard that the scene in the reeds had so deeply 
affected him, that he gave up his employ and re- 
turned, a better man, to his home in Bohemia." 

u That was truly a noble way of revenging him- 
self; and may I ask of Eozsa's present where- 
abouts ?" 

" We ourselves scarcely know it, for he changes 
his quarters often and suddenly, and imparts his 
plans but to a very few of his most intimate com- 
rades. At this moment I suppose he is in Pesth, 
to attempt the rescue of the brave Noszlopi, who 
was arrested a week since." 

" God preserve him ; he is a true nobleman and 
patriot!" exclaimed the Gazda ; "and, besides, a 
friend of our Governor Kossuth." At the mention 
of that name, which has such a charm for the com- 
mon people in Hungary, every hat was raised. 

The men now rose to seek their couches. I, too, 
expressed my readiness to follow their example, and 
was civilly conducted by the Gazda into a sleeping- 
room, where I had to climb into the high bed by 
means of a stool. Towards morning, my sleep was 
disturbed by the tramping of horses in the court- 
yard, the cause of which I afterwards learnt was 
owing to the Honveds having been summoned in 
the night to meet their chief in the reeds. 

h2 



78 ETJEAL AKD HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

After a substantial breakfast of sausages and 
Gulyds-7ius, I merely expressed my thanks for the 
Gazdcts hospitable reception, as an offer of money 
would have greatly offended him ; and we proceeded 
on our way, accompanied by the blessings of our 
host and hostess. 

""We shall most probably have a heavy snow- 
storm," said Lazar, examining the wind, which 
already drove the large flakes across our path. 
" We may think ourselves well off if we reach the 
village before it fairly sets in." 

As we went on at a smart pace, a handsome car- 
riage, drawn by two beautiful horses, drove past. 
Lazar and his son respectfully greeted the single 
occupant of it. " He is our postmaster," explained 
the trader ; " a good and patriotic gentleman." 

At noon we halted at a draw-well, where a herd 
of unbroken colts had been led to drink. "We 
seated ourselves by the reed fire, at which several 
Csikosoh were engaged preparing their simple 
meal, consisting of bacon which they broiled upon 
a stick held over the fire. "We followed their ex- 
ample and cooked our dinner in the same primi- 
tive fashion; I adding to my share one or two 
cups of tea, the sight of which produced great 
wonderment amongst the herdsmen, who had never 
seen tea before. 



FBOM EASTEKN EUROPE. 79 

After an hour's stay we again started and to- 
wards evening at length drove into Lazar's court- 
yard, where men and dogs, in motley groups, 
rushed forth to give their master a hearty and 
joyous welcome. 

The driver's house, like all other houses in the 
Hungarian villages, was a long, one-storied, white- 
washed building, thatched with reeds, the gable- 
end looking to the street, with the customary two 
windows and a rustic seat overshadowed by a soli- 
tary tree. In the fore part of the house there are 
two or three dwelling-rooms, divided by a hall, 
which serves as a kitchen ; then come the dairy, 
stable, pig-sty, &c, all under one and the same 
roof. Behind the house is the farmyard filled 
with stacks of hay and straw, and close to it a 
garden, the whole inclosed by a yard, which is 
again subdivided, presenting altogether an aspect 
of plenty and comfort, if not of wealth. 

From the yard I entered the kitchen. There 
the hostess, a comely matron, wa3 busy at a raised 
hearth, above which hung a large number of earth- 
enware pots as well as iron and copper utensils. 
I then went into the best room, where my atten- 
tion was presently attracted by the usual earthen- 
ware oven in one corner, opposite to which stood 
the best bed, piled up with bedding. In the third 



80 BUBAL AKD HISTOBICAL GLEANOQS 

corner hung a glass, and beneath it was a heavy 
oaken table, with the customary loaf of bread and 
salt-box. On the white walls hung a goodly array 
of pots and jugs, in which the inmates often col- 
lect their savings as well as sundry odds and ends, 
which other people usually stow away in their 
cupboards. A few stools and benches ranged 
along the walls made up the complement of furni- 
ture. 

Besides his son, with whom we are already ac- 
quainted, Lazar had two daughters, whom he sum- 
moned by the names of Boris and Panni. They 
were pretty young girls, with sparkling black eyes 
and dark hair, which hung down their backs in 
a thick plait. They greeted me in a frank and 
easy manner with the usual " Isten Jiozott ! " 

I may here remark that the Hungarian women 
in general possess a large share of personal attrac- 
tion ; their dark complexions, jet hair and fiery 
eyes betokening their eastern origin. Their tem- 
perament forms a striking contrast to that of the 
men. They are extremely sociable and gay ; 
laughing and singing, like so many birds, during 
the live-long day, whatever their occupation may 
be. Yet, notwithstanding their merry disposition, 
on grave occasions the women, like the sterner 
and stronger sex, can be earnest and are equally 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 81 

capable of patriotic devotion. Their pleasing ap- 
pearance is much heightened by their graceful dress. 
Over their white linen chemisettes, made with 
full short sleeves, they wear bodices laced up in 
front, like the Swiss, and frequently ornamented 
with gold brocade ; then comes a coquettish look- 
ing jacket, which in winter is lined with fur. A 
petticoat of gaudy colours and a thousand folds 
and high-heeled boots of red leather, constitute 
the principal part of their attire. 

The married and single women may be distin- 
guished by the manner in which they wear their 
hair ; the latter letting it hang down their backs 
in one long plait, mixed with ribbons ; the former 
rolling it up, either under a cap or a red kerchief, 
and on Sundays beneath a veil, lightly thrown over 
their head. 



82 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER Y. 

A SPINNING EVENING. 

From time immemorial it has been the custom 
with the Hungarian girls to assemble regularly 
during the long winter evenings, in numbers vary- 
ing from six to twelve, for the purpose of spinning ; 
and while their fingers are busily occupied in draw- 
ing out the thread, they in turn tell stories or sing 
in chorus. And if a gipsy with his violin chances 
to knock at the window, he is sure to be admitted 
and his services put in requisition. Then, instead 
of the whirling of spindles, the fair spinners them- 
selves whirl in the mazes of the merry dance, with 
any of the lads who, either for the sake of hearing 
or telling stories, or carrying on a courtship, happen 
to be present. 

The period for the spinning evenings is from St. 
Martin's day to the eve of St. George. 

As girls are considered eligible members at the 
age of twelve, it may readily be imagined that there 
is no lack of spinning clubs throughout the country. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 83 

Their meetings are held at the house of one or 
other of the spinners' parents during the entire 
season, each girl providing her own share of candles, 
firing and eatables. 

On entering Lazar's house he informed me, 
that his best room was for this season to be the 
meeting place of one of these clubs, and he hoped 
I should not be disturbed by the noise of the 
maidens, otherwise he would bespeak a night's 
quarter for me at a friend's. I assured him that, 
on the contrary, I should much like to be present. 
His doubts on that score being thus put to 
rest, he invited me to join the supper ; and we 
had scarcely concluded a bountiful repast of 
roasted chickens, with cream sauce, cheese pasties 
and a jug of good old wine, when the wooden latch 
of the door was raised, and the first spinner 
entered. This girl as well as all who followed 
wore a jacket thickly braided and lined with fur, 
which, after a naive and well-mannered greeting, 
she took off, thereby exhibiting a pair of pretty 
round arms. She seated herself beside the lasses 
of the house, and, taking her distaff from under 
her apron, was soon engaged in dexterously turning 
her spindle with the forefingers of her right hand. 
Gradually the others dropped in one by one, till 
the full complement of eight had assembled. 



84 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Among the number was the notary's daughter, 
who not only wore a handsomer dress than her 
companions, but was evidently their superior in 
every respect. All took their seats on the benches 
around the oven, looking as bright and cheerful as 
a bouquet of fresh field flowers. Ere the last ar- 
rival had well shaken off the snow from her dress, 
the door again opened and two young men made 
their appearance ; the one, of gentlemanly bearing, 
was the notary's clerk, and the other a stout lad in 
braided jacket and trousers, a fisherman. 

I soon discovered that another and a stronger 
reason than that of entertaining the maidens with 
stories had induced those rustic cavaliers to brave 
the snowstorm ; for each at once took his place by 
the side of a certain fair one, from whence he never 
stirred during the evening. 

"Kough weather this, Lazar Bdtyam" said the 
fisherman, knocking the snow from his hat. " I 
had some difficulty in finding my way here in the 
blinding drift. What news do you bring from 
Pesth?" 

"Everything very dear, Ocsem Pali, — brother 
Paul. The Austrians are increasing in number, 
and their bank-notes decreasing in value." 

" Ah ! the flies are most numerous when the frost 
is nearest!" remarked the clerk. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 85 

" Tes, but their bite smarts the most then," re- 
joined the former. 

" Whose turn is it to open the evening with a 
tale?" asked one of the spinners. 

" It is Pali BacsVs ; he promised yesterday to 
tell us about the surprise at the Szdroi Csdrda" 
said another. 

" But before he has the honour of entertaining 
us," remarked Palma, the notary's daughter, "he 
must make a clear breast of all his sins. He must 
confess." 

"Agreed!" exclaimed the rest in chorus; "he 
must confess !" 

The supposed sinner, thus condemned to undergo 
so heavy an ordeal in the presence of so many fair 
judges, seemed rather flattered than otherwise ; 
and as soon as the mirth called forth by this sug- 
gestion had somewhat subsided, the fisherman set 
about the work of purification with as grave and 
resigned an air as the occasion permitted. 

He began by stating that, instead of staying at 
home to mend nets and make baskets and hampers, 
he had thrown all aside and hurried to the spinning 
room. After a long list of similar offences, he 
summed up with an expression of regret, that 
he had never yet been able, either from want of 
skill or good luck, to fish out the treasure of 

I 



86 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

the Fairy of the Theiss ; whereby he might have 
obtained the hand of mine host's daughter, the 
pretty Boriska. This was all told amidst jokes 
and laughter ; and while the girls debated as to the 
manner and nature of the absolution, the spindle 
of the one nearest to the penitent fell to the 
ground, whether purposely or not remains a mys- 
tery. Now, the picking up of a spindle is generally 
acknowledged with a kiss, and the fisherman, who 
held the trophy aloft, claimed and obtained the re- 
ward from the owner, who, with the consent of the 
party, granted a second by way of absolution. I 
plainly saw that this girl was no other than Boriska, 
for she blushed deeply as she raised her blooming 
face to the happy fisherman. 

" And now," said the latter, " as my sins are for- 
given, I will, without further preface, commence the 
promised story. 

"In the beginning of February, 1849, at the 
time when our troops were drawn up along the left 
bank of the Theiss and the Austrians occupied the 
right bank, I rented a portion of that river in the 
neighbourhood of Szolnok. From my accurate 
knowledge of the place, I was often able to cross 
unobserved from one side to the other, and in this 
way became pretty well acquainted with the position 
of the enemy's outposts, one of which, a cavalry 



EEOM EASTEEN ETTEOPE. 87 

picket of some twenty men, kept guard at the Szdroi 
Csdrda, behind a small grove of willows. I occa- 
sionally gave a hint thereof to a lieutenant named 
Comper, of the Sixth Hussars, who were then sta- 
tioned opposite to the Csdrda, and told him, if he 
were disposed to risk an attack upon that picket, I 
would conduct him safely across the Theiss. Comper 
was just the man for such a hazardous undertaking. 
He presently asked and obtained permission to 
carry it out in any way he deemed best ; and he 
fixed upon the night of the 9th of February for put- 
ting his plan into execution. I, of course, was to 
act as guide. Besides the commander there were 
twelve Hussars, all determined fellows, who at the 
appointed time made their appearance at my hut 
on foot, their spurs bound up to prevent them from 
clinking, and their unsheathed swords under their 
arms. The ice on the river having just began to 
thaw, I was obliged to lay planks across several of 
the breaks; nevertheless, in half an hour we all 
stood safely on the right bank. The night was so 
calm that we could hear the striking of the clocks 
ir the church spires of Szolnok. It was then two 
in the morning. The small quantity of snow that 
still lay upon the ground, from being partly melted 
served to deaden the sound of our steps and our 
white mantles to disguise our persons. Thus we 



88 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

approached the line of the Austrians without arous- 
ing their suspicion. On arriving behind the willow 
grove, at the other end of which stood a vidette on 
horseback, we halted, and Comper sent private 
Koszta, a man of undaunted courage and immense 
strength, to surprise the scout ; the sign of his suc- 
cess was to be an imitation of the howl of a reed 
wolf. Koszta presently set off on his mission. 
In a few minutes we heard the signal and hastened 
to the spot, which was only a couple of hundred 
paces off. There we found Koszta standing over 
the corpse of a Dragoon, and holding his horse by 
the bridle. 

" As Koszta afterwards told us, he approached the 
vidette on all-fours. The latter, doubtless, mistook 
him for a dog, and, after whistling once or twice, 
thought no more of him. Once near enough, the 
Hussar sprang to his feet, and before the Dragoon 
had recovered from his surprise brought him to the 
ground with a thrust of his sword. After fastening 
the horse to a tree, we marched on to a general at- 
tack. In front of the Csdrda two other mounted 
Dragoons kept guard, who, at the sight of us, 
were so frightened, that instead of defending them- 
selves and their post, they merely discharged their 
pistols at random and fled towards Szolnok. 

" The work now went on apace. In fact, we had 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 89 

no time to lose, as in half an tour assistance might 
easily arrive from head quarters. On hearing the 
report of guns, the Austrians, who slept with their 
horses in a roomy stable, instantly bolted the door 
and fired a few shots through the loopholes on our 
summoning them to surrender. This resistance, 
however, was to no purpose ; for at the order of 
Comper the roof was fired, which soon compelled 
the inmates to capitulate. Thus seventeen men and 
as many horses fell into our hands. But while we 
were occupied at the stables, a strange as well as 
stirring scene was going on in another part of the 
building. Immediately on our surrounding the 
Csdrda, Koszta had forced his way into the dwelling- 
room and there found the commander alone, yet 
not asleep. Scarcely had the Hussar broken open 
the door when he was greeted by a pistol shot. 
The ball only slightly grazed his breast; where- 
upon the officer raised his sword. In the very act 
of striking the deadly blow, the blade hit the low 
ceiling and snapped in two. ' "Well done, my brave 
fellow !' cried Koszta ; c we will now settle our ac- 
count together on more equal terms.' On this he 
threw down his sword, clasped the officer round the 
body, and, after wrestling for awhile, brought him 
to the ground, keeping him down until he had no 
longer power to resist. At this moment Koszta 

i 2 



90 RTTEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

first became sensible of the danger with which he 
was threatened by the rapidly- spreading flames. He 
had scarcely time to escape through the window, 
when the roof of the Csdrda fell in, burying the 
Austrian officer in a fiery grave. 

" Meanwhile the booming of the signal guns in 
Szolnok warned us of the approach of a reinforce- 
ment, and we made all haste in gaining the opposite 
bank of the river. In the hurry of crossing, three 
of the captured horses fell into the water and were 
carried away by the tide. Save this, we lost none 
of our booty, which, with the prisoners, we bore in 
triumph to head quarters." 

" And what reward did you receive?" said one 
of the maidens." 

" Money I would not accept ; but I asked for 
and obtained a black steed, which I still have, and 
from whose back I have effaced the imperial mark 
by burning my own upon it." 

" We should now like to hear a tale of gentler 
lore," said Palma, the notary's daughter. " Per- 
haps Csahldcsi will give us one from his store." 

The clerk at once assented, and thus began: 
" While at college in Debreczen, my favourite 
companion was a youth as clever and handsome as 
any other student, but who, like myself, had one 
great drawback, and that was poverty. We gained 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 91 

a subsistence by giving instruction to the younger 
boys ; and by dint of mutual support we struggled 
through our college life, though not without a 
good share of the privations which in the daily 
life of the poor spring up again and again, like 
mushrooms in a rainy season. 

" Among our acquaintances in that town was a 
wealthy magistrate, in whose family my companion 
gave lessons in languages and I in music and sing- 
ing. Besides our pay, we had a general invitation 
to dine with the family on Sundays. Notwith- 
standing that we had great difficulties to surmount 
as to the outer man, on the whole we contrived to 
make our appearance on those occasions sufficiently 
creditable. Once, however, it happened that we, 
together with many of the townspeople, were in- 
vited to the christening dinner of the magistrate's 
youngest child, which was to take place at his coun- 
try house. This was quite an extra occasion. As 
we only received the friendly summons late on the 
mornicg of the appointed day, it took us both by 
surprise and particularly my friend, inasmuch as he 
had only one shirt, having sent the rest of his very 
scanty supply to the wash on the previous evening, 
and that one, unfortunately, owned but a single 
sleeve. Time pressed, and rather than remain be- 
hind he resolved to make the best of a bad busi- 



92 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

ness, and present himself in the mutilated gar- 
ment, with which, in other respects, there was no 
fault to be found. At the appointed hour we 
made our appearance at the country house of our 
patron. The feast went merrily on, and Szerencsi 
soon forgot his sore point in the pleasure of the 
moment. In the afternoon the party adjourned to 
the garden, where there was a skittle ground. 
The male portion of the company were presently 
engaged in the game of nine-pins, in which we 
were invited to take a part. The day being very 
hot, the players threw off their coats. I had long 
since forgotten Szerencsi' s wanting sleeve, and was 
not a little perplexed when he reminded me of the 
fact and asked my advice, as he could not well 
make an exception to the rest of the company, 
either by wearing his coat or leaving off playing 
without any apparent cause. As I was about sug- 
gesting some probable excuse, which was no easy 
matter, the master of the house, perhaps imagining 
that the poor teacher stood upon ceremony, came 
up and in the kindest manner urged Szerencsi to 
make himself at home, and play away in his shirt 
sleeves like the others. Now, I must tell you that 
my friend was proud as well as extremely suscept- 
ible; and an exposure of his poverty in so ridi- 
culous a way would have driven him half mad. 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 93 

Tou may therefore fancy what he suffered, with 
his patron at his side, unconsciously pressing him 
to make a public exhibition of his penury. No, 
that he would never consent to. You might as 
well have asked the chesnut tree hard by to lay aside 
its bark. But now came the climax of his misery. 
The magistrate's daughter, a lively brunette, — who 
had often cheered him with her sympathy, and 
whom Szerencsi had long worshipped in silence, — 
remarking his embarrasment, ran up to him and 
in a whisper begged him at once to do as her fa- 
ther suggested, since she plainly saw by his manner 
that he was annoyed at finding one of his guests 
so ill at ease in his house. A hint from such a 
source was a command with Szerencsi, and he felt 
himself compelled to yield, rather than risk the 
goodwill of his patron, and thus perhaps be shut 
out from his paradise. Yet how could he yield ? 
Either way he was lost ! In this dire dilemma a 
bright idea suddenly struck him. Can you guess 
what that was ?" said the clerk to the girls. 

" He ran away to get another shirt ! " answered 
one. 

" There was no time for that," replied the nar- 
rator ; " and then, you know he had not another at 
hand." 



94 KTTEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

" He disclosed his secret to the magistrate's 
daughter," cried a second. 

" No, Szerencsi was too proud for that." 

" He pleaded sudden illness," suggested a third. 

" No, no ; that he could not do, for he looked 
the very picture of health. "Well, I see you will 
never guess," continued the clerk, " so I will tell 
you the secret. All at once it occurred to Szerencsi 
that, as he had at any rate one sleeve and the de- 
faulter happened fortunately to be the left, he 
might slip his coat off the right arm, and thus 
compromise matters. The attempt was made and 
proved most successful. His spirits rose, and he 
subsequently played with such signal results, that 
the best players retired utterly discomfited from 
the scene of action." 

"Bravo!" cried Palma, "and what has become 
of your friend ? " 

" He has shirts and all things in abundance now. 
He worked and studied hard ; graduated as a 
doctor of divinity, and through his patron's inte- 
rest, he was presented with a good living beyond the 
Theiss. Shortly afterwards, he obtained the hand 
of the daughter of the magistrate of Debreczen, 
whose heart he had possessed for many years." 

" Come, girls, it is now supper time," observed 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 95 

the hostess, bringing in various eatables in large 
bowls from the kitchen, which she placed in a row 
upon the table. The first bowl contained maize, 
which had been roasted in an iron riddle over a 
straw fire. This is a favourite dish on the steppes, 
and a very palatable one I found it. The second 
was filled with boiled maize, and the third with 
wafer cakes. 

Each girl put her share of the repast in her 
apron and ate it while still working away at her 
spindle. 

Supper had scarcely been served, when the dogs 
in the yard began to bark vehemently and to 
spring against the gate. 

" "Who can be out this wild night ? " said Lazar, 
looking at his wife. 

" Certainly not a friend," she replied, " for the 
dogs know all who come and go here." 

They were still speculating as to who it could be, 
when a loud tap was heard at the window. " Open 
the door directly ! " called out an imperious voice ; 
and to lend additional weight to the summons, the 
head of an individual wearing a military cap ap- 
peared before the window. 

" Good heavens, a gendarme ! " exclaimed the 
hostess m a panic ; and every face turned pale at 
the ominous word. 



96 BUBAL AND BZISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

" G-o Gyuri, open the door," said Lazar to his 
son. 

The lad obeyed, and returned accompanied by 
two gendarmes, enveloped in grey mantles. The 
dogs still continued to growl and snarl outside the 
door, as if they, too, highly disapproved of such 
intruders. 

" The next time I come here I will teach those 
beasts to respect the Emperor's functionaries ! " 
muttered the sergeant. 

" They harm none excepting, perhaps, unwel- 
come visitors," rejoined Lazar, sternly. " What is 
your errand ? " 

" I have heard that a stranger alighted at your 
house this evening," continued the sergeant, look- 
ing round ; " yes, there he sits, I fancy. Why did 
you not immediately inform us of his arrival ? " 

" Who would set out in weather like this, for 
the sake of such a trifling affair ? I thought early 
on the morrow would have done just as well." 

" You are mistaken, my friend ; the laws must 
be respected, or people must suffer for infringing 
them," rejoined the sergeant, authoritatively. " You 
have concealed a foreigner in your house ; thereby 
you have incurred a fine of five florins, or a week's 
imprisonment. Therefore, either count down the 
money or go to prison ? " 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 97 

" As I am unfortunately the cause of this un- 
pleasant business," I said, stepping forward, 
" allow me to pay the fine. Here are the five 
florins." 

" And who are you, sir ? " demanded the gen- 
darme, eyeing me with great suspicion. 

* He is an Englishman ! " called out Lazar, 
drawing himself up to his full height, and stepping 
between me and the intruders, ready to protect me 
in case of need. 

To put an end to the scene, I handed my pass- 
port to the gendarmes ; whereupon they withdrew 
to report to their officer. 

" You see, sir, how matters stand with us ! " 
exclaimed Lazar, with an outburst of passion. " I 
am, or I was at least formerly a Nemes Timber, 
Ncibilis*, and no one dared to enter my Curia^f 
without my permission ; and now not even the 
rights of hospitality are respected ! " 

" Hush, man, for God's sake ! If they hear you 
talking in that strain we are undone," whispered 
his terrified wife. " Let them wander on in their 

* There are many thousands of Nemes EmbereJc in Hun- 
gary, who, though rustics, yet, prior to 1848, enjoyed equal 
privileges and political rights with the first magnates in the 
land. 

f Curia is the house of a Kernes Ember. 

K 



98 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

unrighteous way ; they will, depend upon it, sooner 
or later reap what they have sown." 

" Amen ! " said the men. 

Lazar would have fain gone on making apologies 
to me, but I requested that the amusement of the 
evening might proceed, and by degrees the gloomy 
impression wore off. 

" As we have just been so roughly reminded of 
the existence of those gendarmes," observed 
Lazar, after a pause ; " it will be as well to tell this 
gentleman, Gyuri, how those very men only the 
other day handled poor Janko, the Honved." 

Thus challenged, the son after sundry coughs 
and hems related the following episode : 

" Just at the time I recovered from my wounds 
— that is to say, in July 1849, — the Hungarians 
fought a battle with the Austrians a few miles from 
this village, whereby the latter were gloriously 
beaten. A day subsequent to the fray, I rode over 
the battle-field, to see what damage had been done 
to our wheat. On entering the field, which had 
been sadly trodden down and where arms and 
corpses lay scattered around, I saw a human form 
rising from the ground, who, though clad in the 
Honved Attila, yet in other respects looked more 
like a spectre than a living man. On perceiving 
me, he stretched out his arms imploringly and 



EEOM EASTEEN ETTEOPE. 99 

staggered forward, ever and anon exclaiming with 
a faint voice, ■ A Honved ! A Honved !' Truly lie 
was in a miserable plight and, as his sole answer 
to all my questions was the word ' Honved,' it was 
evident that he knew nothing of Hungarian ; so, 
without further parley, I lifted him on to my horse 
and rode slowly back into the village. "While my 
mother and sisters administered every comfort in 
their power, I fetched the barber, who found six 
sword cuts upon him, but fortunately none of 
them were mortal. Having dressed his wounds, 
the barber, to whom Janko made himself under- 
stood, told us that the poor lad was a Slovack from 
the county of Zips in the Carpathian mountains, 
who had enlisted in June as a volunteer ; and the 
battle near our village was the first and last in 
which he had taken part during his short military 
career. He was amongst the skirmishers when the 
enemy's cavalry made a sudden dash upon them, 
and while most of his comrades better versed in 
tactics formed a square to withstand the shock, he 
and a few others were overtaken in the act of re- 
treat, cut down and left for dead. When con- 
sciousness returned he found himself in a wheat- 
field and, not knowing where the enemy might be, 
he did not venture to show himself, and thus re- 



100 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

mained for forty-eight hours with his wounds un- 
dressed, without food and exposed to the burning 
sun. During that time he tried to satisfy his 
hunger with the ears of wheat ; but at last he be- 
came so exhausted that he could scarcely scare away 
the dogs and birds of prey hovering about the scene 
of carnage. We nursed him during two months, 
by which time he was able to leave his bed. He 
gradually learnt our language, and was so tractable, 
honest and industrious to boot, that my father de- 
termined to take him into his service. "We cau- 
tioned him to keep clear of all public places, to 
avoid coming in contact with the gendarmes ; and 
for a couple of years he followed our advice with 
the best success. Janko was a tall, handsome 
fellow, and in the course of time a mutual affection 
sprung up between him and my poor sister Panni. 
Now don't fret, my dear girl," said G-yuri consolingly 
to Panni, who, at the mention of her lover, burst 
into a passionate flood of tears. " Be of good cheer ; 
who knows but that Janko may shortly return, and 
perhaps as a Honved officer, too ! Only think of 
that ! And then you may wear your pretty tri- 
coloured ribbons again. Well," he continued, 
" my father, seeing Janko's untiring industry and 
good temper, gave the lovers his blessing, and the 



EEOM EASTEE5f EUBOPE. 101 

marriage was to be celebrated iD a few weeks, when 
a circumstance occurred which suddenly put an end 
to their happy prospects. 

"On returning home one afternoon with the 
oxen, Janko, instead of coming round by the out- 
skirts as was his wont, took the shortest cut 
through the village, when, on passing by the large 
inn, he saw several waggons belonging to the 
Slovacks who attend the yearly fair in Szeged and 
who had just halted to bait their horses. The sight 
of his countrymen and the sound of his native lan- 
guage naturally made him forget both prudence 
and danger. He left the oxen and made up to the 
group of Slovacks, amongst whom he had recog- 
nised his own father. The happy moment of meet- 
ing was but short, for among the witnesses of the 
touching recognition stood one of the very gen- 
darmes you saw here this evening, and who had no 
sooner convinced himself that Janko was not one of 
the inhabitants and thus most probably a fugitive 
Honved, than he laid the heavy hand of justice 
upon him. The youth, otherwise patient and endur- 
ing as a lamb, was excited to madness by such an 
unexpected attack and struggled vigorously with 
the gendarme, at the same time calling to the by- 
standers not to allow him to be dragged away from 
his father. Tou perhaps know sir, that the Hun- 

k2 



102 ETTEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

garian is always ready to act in defending the op- 
pressed, whoever they may be, and accordingly 
several lads threw themselves upon the sergeant 
and his companions, who had hastened to his assist- 
ance. In a short time the fray ended with the 
entire discomfiture of the Austrians, and the 
victors, together with Janko and his father, went 
off in triumph to the reeds, which extend for miles 
beyond the village, and where, owing to the swampy 
nature of the ground, nobody save the villagers 
would dare to enter. The adventure made a great 
noise in the county. The Austrians took alarm 
and a battalion was instantly dispatched hither, as 
if our village had really been in a state of insurrec- 
tion. The reeds were scoured, but none of our 
people being disposed to act as guides, the soldiers 
were unable to discover any traces of the objects of 
their search. Finding all their efforts of no avail, 
the Austrians issued a proclamation to the purport 
that if the young men did not come forth from 
their hiding-place in the space of twenty -four hours, 
whenever they did re-appear and were caught they 
would be shot without mercy ; on the other hand, 
no injury would be done them if they obeyed this 
summons. The parents, terrified at the peril in 
which their sons were placed, betook themselves to 
the reeds and persuaded the fugitives to return. 



FEOM EASTERN ET7BOPE. 103 

But scarcely were they within reach of the sol- 
diers than, in spite of proclamation and promises of 
pardon, they were all seized and sent off, together 
with poor Janko, to the army in Italy, his father 
being sentenced to six months' imprisonment for 
having been the innocent cause of the tumult." 

" That was, however, not all !" said Lazar, as his 
son concluded. " Not content with having robbed 
us of several of our best lads, the village had like- 
wise to pay a fine of two thousand florins to com- 
pensate the gendarmes for the thrashing they got 
at the inn." 

The fisherman's turn again coming round, he re- 
lated the following adventure, which he assured us 
he had hitherto kept a profound secret. 

" Last May business was so brisk at the ferry 
of Szebb Jovo, that I was summoned to help old 
Mihaly for a month or two. One night, at the 
time of full moon, it fell to my lot to keep watch 
by the ferry. Having tarried drinking and smok- 
ing till near midnight, in Mihaly' s hut, I went to 
my post, and laid down upon my bunda. I could 
not have slept long, when I was aroused by some 
one hailing loudly for the boat from the opposite 
shore. I rowed over and found a number of 
people waiting, who scrambled into the boat, and 
with whose aid I easily re-crossed the river. From 



104 ETIRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

the festive attire of niy passengers I guessed that 
they were a wedding party, and I was strength- 
ened in my conjecture by the presence of two 
gipsy musicians, who tuned their instruments 
during the passage. And no sooner had the party 
landed than they assembled under the silver pop- 
lar called the Witches' Tree. The gipsies struck 
up a Csdrdds and presently the people, one and all, 
were drawn into the vortex of that fiery dance ; 
the very earth shaking, so vigorously did they 
stamp and spring. As I was watching the merry 
scene, a stately matron came up and challenged me 
to join the dance. Of course I could not refuse 
and without farther ceremony led my partner into 
the circle. The dance might have lasted an hour, 
when the crowing of the cock was heard in the 
village. Music and dancing all at once ceased, and 
wedding guests and musicians disappeared as if 
the earth had swallowed them up. Not a trace of 
them remained. I stood alone breathless and in 
utter bewilderment. But no, not quite alone : at my 
feet lay my weighty partner, who at that moment 
must have been changed into the old boat which we 
had brought to shore for repair a few days before. 
By degrees I made out that I had been charmed 
into taking part in one of those Sabhats, which, it ia 
said, are held by the witches from the neighbour- 



FEOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 105 

hood at full moon under the ferry poplar, and that 
it could only have been Lucza — you all know the old 
hag — who had played me such a trick ; since I en- 
countered her in the fields the previous night col- 
lecting Maydew, and unintentionally disturbed her 
as she was preparing a charm. My suspicion was 
changed into a certainty from the circumstance, 
that, early the next morning, Lucza was the first 
to pass the ferry, when she inquired with a mali- 
cious grin how I had spent the night." 

" But, Pali, the whole affair must have been a 
dream ! There are no witches now," remarked the 
clerk. 

"That is all very well," replied the fisher. 
" Philosophers may say so if they please ; but only 
let one of them dance half-an-hour with some fine 
lady who suddenly changes into an old boat, and 
they will certainly in this respect not pretend to 
be wiser than a simple son of the Puszta." 

"Now, girls," said Lazar, "let us hear your 
pretty voices." Having agreed upon a song, which 
happened to be the National Anthem so strictly 
prohibited by the Austrians, the girls, with the 
clerk at their head, began to sing it in a sweet 
under tone, lest they should be heard by some un- 
bidden listener and thus bring the master of the 
house into difficulty. Young and old joined in the 



106 BTTKAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

anthem, which, in its solemn and plaintive undula- 
tions, occasionally varied by martial strains, so 
vividly pictured the feelings of the mourning people, 
together with their impassioned patriotic ardour. 
The tones spoke to every heart, the deepest chords 
of which gradually responded to their magic touch, 
until the song was repeatedly broken by sobs ; and, 
stranger though I was, I felt so overpowered by 
the scene that I could scarcely repress my tears. 

After singing several other melodies of a more 
cheerful character, another story was called for; 
but an interruption of a more serious nature un- 
expectedly put an end to the amusement of the 
evening. The dogs in the yard again began to 
bark, which soon changed into a lengthened howl, 
joined by all the dogs in the vicinity. 

"I do dislike to hear the dogs howl," said the 
hostess, " it never bodes any good. I should not 
wonder if some death has occurred in the village." 

The howling went on, and sounded yet more 
ominous amidst the roaring of the storm, wlrch. 
drove the snow with wild vehemence against tne 
panes. The momentary silence in the room was 
interrupted by a knock at the window, making 
some of the most excitable of the girls start upon 
their feet. 

" For God's sake open the door, Lazar Batyam !" 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 107 

cried a voice from without : " I want you all to 
help me ! " 

The men rushed into the yard to learn the cause 
of the summons, and the girls with superstitious 
fear depicted in their pale faces drew close to each 
other. The former returned, accompanied by the 
coachman of the postmaster, whom we had met on 
the road in the morning. The lad looked com- 
pletely exhausted. In broken sentences he in- 
formed us that on returning with his master from 
a visit in the vicinity they were overtaken by the 
storm on the Puszta, not far from the village, and 
had lost their way. They drove about for hours, 
until at last they got fast in a morass. The post- 
master, who was in bad health, ordered the coach- 
man to mount one of the horses and ride off for 
help ; while he would wait his return in the car- 
riage. The coachman started in a blinding snow- 
drift, and for six good hours rode round the out- 
skirts without knowing where he was ; and at last 
he felt so bewildered and disheartened that he 
would have given up in despair, when a Csikos, 
happening to fall in with him, conducted him to the 
village, which was scarcely half a mile distant. 
The coachman could give but little clue as to 
where he had left his master. But no time was to 
be lost in idle discussion ; so Lazar dispatched his 



108 RUKAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

men to the neighbours for farther aid, and then 
told his son to bring the horses out. " It will be 
a hard night's work," he said ; " but the postmaster 
is a good man and we will do our best to save 
him." 

The clerk and fisherman likewise expressed their 
readiness to join the party of searchers; accord- 
ingly horses were brought for them too, and in a 
few minutes the four men rode out into the fearful 
night. The girls went home, and I, with the as- 
sistance of a stool, mounted my high bed. 

The next morning was as stormy as the previous 
night. Lazar returned late in the afternoon, and 
told me that their perilous expedition had been to 
no purpose; and that if the weather continued 
the poor postmaster's doom was sealed. The 
storm did continue that day and the following one 
too, and kept me prisoner in the house of my hos- 
pitable conductor. On the third day the sky 
cleared up and I immediately started for the place 
of my destination. As a thaw speedily set in, the 
snow in a few days had almost entirely disap- 
peared from the plains. Feeling interested in the 
postmaster, on my return I called at Lazar' s door 
to learn the particulars of his fate, when I was in- 
formed by my honest friend that his body had only 
lately been discovered. 



EEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 109 



CHAPTER VI. 

SZOROI. 

I was about proceeding on my journey to Pesth, 
when the clerk, accompanied by an elderly gentle- 
man, stepped up to my carriage and introduced him 
to me as his patron, and the notary and schoolmaster 
of the village. The latter expressed himself much 
gratified to make the acquaintance of an English- 
man, and pressed me to spend the remainder of 
the day at his house. I declined, however, alleg- 
ing the pressure of business which awaited me at 
the capital. But all in vain. The hospitable 
Magyar would not hear of a refusal, and wound up 
another entreaty on the plea that it would be dark 
in an hour or two, when I should be compelled to 
put up at some miserable Csdrda. " Send away 
your carriage," he concluded, "and I promise to 
provide you with four horses which will take you 
to Pesth with railroad speed. I at length yielded, 
and alighted to accompany the notary, who dwelt 



110 KTJRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

in the vicinity. His house stood near the church, 
its lofty spires surmounted by a cock, and another 
handsome building, presenting a broad front to 
the street, which formed a favourable contrast to 
the peasants' cottages around. On my tarrying- 
for a moment before it, my companion said in 
a tone of regret : " That building was formerly 
our village school, and was erected, together with 
my own dwelling, at the expense of our late land- 
lord, Szoroi, who, himself a man of learning, felt 
fully convinced that a good education forms the 
basis of the prosperity of the people. But at the 
end of the war, Government thought proper to pre- 
vent its original destination, and it is now used as 
quarters for an Austrian commissary and a detach- 
ment of gendarmes. " 

"Is it possible that Government can act so ar- 
bitrarily even in this respect ? " I asked. 

" Why not ? " he replied, twirling his moustaches. 
" That is one of the least of the acts of injustice 
we have to complain of. "We can easily find ano- 
ther place that will answer the purpose as well. 
The evil lies in the decree of the Austrians, that 
our children are henceforth to learn the language 
of our oppressors. This was equivalent to closing 
the schools. For when it came to the knowledge 
of the parents they unanimously determined to 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. Ill 

have their children instructed privately ; so that I 
am now obliged to keep two teachers to go about 
to the different houses, assisting in the education 
of the village youth.'* 

The notary's appearance as well as his manner 
of expressing himself, betokened more energy and 
patriotism than was compatible with his safety. 
I remarked this to him, but he replied with a smile 
of contempt : " The Austrians cannot cope with me ! 
They have already twice thrown me into prison for 
declaring my opinions too freely, and have twice 
selected a notary from their own people in my 
place. But each time they were burnt out of their 
dwellings ; after that, no one would accept the ap- 
pointment, so that on my second liberation I, with- 
out opposition, resumed my old office." 

The notary's house stood in the midst of a gar- 
den. It was a pretty one-storied building with six 
windows in front. Along the side looking towards 
the yard ran an arched gallery, from whence the 
doors led into the different apartments. The sitting- 
room, with its windows opening into the street, con- 
tained besides a sofa and other handsome pieces of 
furniture a piano, several choice engravings, and a 
bookcase, in which I discovered Shakespeare's 
works. The windows were filled with flowerpots. 
Everywhere not only the greatest cleanliness pre- 



112 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

vailed, but likewise a certain air in the arrange- 
ment and use of things, an indication of cultiva- 
tion as well as of good taste. 

While the notary was engaged in discussing 
polities with me, supper was announced, and he led 
the way to the dining-room, where the clerk and 
the teachers had already assembled. Shortly 
after, a woman of lady-like appearance, habited in 
deep mourning, entered by another door, leaning 
upon Palma's arm. I was at once struck with 
the expression of grief portrayed on her beautiful 
features. Her tall youthful figure was bowed, as 
if under the pressure of some unseen burden. Her 
classical face, of almost deathlike pallor and trans- 
parent in its delicacy, was lighted up by dark 
eyes, glowing with such unnatural fire that the 
sight made me shudder. Over her luxuriant hair, 
already streaked with gray, she wore a black veil, 
which rendered her face still more wan looking. 

Palma conducted the lady to an arm chair at the 
head of the table, and each one greeted her re- 
spectfully; but she seemed scarcely conscious of 
what was going on ; and her presence rather pain- 
fully affected the spirits of all present, who carried 
on the conversation in whispers, and even the notary 
hushed his usually loud voice. 

During supper, Palma bestowed her entire atten- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 113 

tion upon the pale lady, and in her earnest, child- 
like care for her wants, no longer appeared the 
same gay, careless girl that I had seen only a short 
time back at the spinning evening. Her gentle 
charge ate but little, and when the fruit was 
brought in she rose to leave the room. At the 
door she turned round, as if some sudden thought 
had struck her, and said in a low supplicating voice 
to the notary, " Remember my child, dear Peleskei, 
and bring him back to his unhappy mother !" 

When she was gone, the notary remarked, with 
a sigh, " In that poor unfortunate creature you see 
a sad victim of Austrian dominion in our land! 
She was formerly one of the loveliest, best, and most 
accomplished of women, and now ! " 

The circumstances which surrounded that strange 
apparition were blended with so much mystery, that 
I could not resist asking my host to give me some 
explanation thereof. 

" She is the wife of a nobleman," rejoined the 
notary ; " the same who built the school, and to 
whom, besides other property, the half of this vil- 
lage belonged. The invasion of the Austrians 
brought both him and his family to ruin. He lost 
home, wife, and possessions ; his wife, however, lost 
still more — she lost her reason! But, that you 
may the better understand the incidents which re- 

l2 



114 BTTKAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

duced her to her present condition, I will give you 
the history of Szdroi himself. The particulars of 
his life as an exile I learnt from one of his 
friends, who clandestinely returned about a week 
since from England. 

" At the outbreak of our late war of Independ- 
ence, many of the patriotic men still lived who, 
some thirty years before, gave to our nation the 
first impulse to a lasting and progressive develop- 
ment, by laying the legal foundation for salutary 
reforms and improvements. 

" It is remarkable of that period, as well as of 
the Hungarian character in general, that those 
men, in spite of their independent patriotism, as 
if under the spell of some infatuation, invariably 
preserved an unbounded feeling of attachment 
and confidence towards the reigning dynasty, and, 
confounding the interests of our country with 
those of a single family — interests in every respect 
opposed to each other — they never sought to fami- 
liarise themselves with the idea, that the most 
efficacious and only means of rendering our land 
truly happy and great was by delivering it from 
the stranger's yoke. To such men the history of 
past wrongs and oppression taught no lesson for 
the future ; and they were only, though too late, 
convinced of their fatal short-sightedness by per- 



FROM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 115 

sonally suffering from the effects of those crying 
violations of right, by which in the end the dy- 
nasty forced the most loyal people in the world 
to insurrection. 

" Long after the first breach of the royal oath, 
even after blood had been shed, they still clung to 
the possibility of a peaceful arrangement ; until, 
seeing our national existence daily more me- 
naced by armies and rebellion, they no longer 
wavered, but rose, however old and cautious, in 
lawful self-defence, serving our country with the 
sword or the pen, as circumstances demanded. 

" One of these loyal reformers was Szordi. . 

" Bepresentative of an ancient and noble family, 
and gifted by nature with abilities of a high order, 
Szoroi, during his long political career, successively 
filled all the important posts which the ambition of 
a nobleman could desire, without becoming subser- 
vient to dynastic interests. He had been twice 
elected member of the Diet, and for several years 
had acted as chief magistrate of this county, taking 
with him, when retiring from the arena of public 
life, the thanks of the people, and leaving in our 
annals many records of his honest and patriotic 
conduct. 

" Once freed from the weight of official duties, he 
settled on his large estates in Boldog-EmMk, near 



116 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

the Theiss, giving himself up wholly to the enjoy- 
ment of domestic life, which for us Hungarians 
possesses peculiar charms. Faithful to the cus- 
tom of our forefathers, Szoroi left the gates of 
his ancestral castle open by day and night ; wel- 
coming every one, whether friend or stranger, 
who drove into his court-yard, and evincing for the 
English a peculiar predilection, which he shared 
with most of his countrymen. His house, his sta- 
bles and his preserves, he placed at the disposal of 
his guests with an open-handed liberality hardly to 
be met with elsewhere, only jestingly stipulating 
that they were neither to set fire to his house, ride 
his horses to death, nor extirpate his game. But 
Szoroi was not less famed for his hospitality and the 
varied pleasures he offered to his visitors, than for 
his cultivated mind and taste for the fine arts. 
His collection of paintings comprised several master- 
pieces of both the ancient and modern schools, and 
he was not a little proud of showing them to his 
foreign visitors, who scarcely expected to find such 
treasures in the midst of the Puszta. 

" The crown of his happiness, however, was his 
young and accomplished wife, whom he had known 
from childhood, and, at the death of her parents, 
had married at an advanced age. He adored her 
with all the fervour of a still youthful heart, and 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 117 

the birth of a son, heir to his name and fortune, 
left nothing to wish for in the completion of his 
domestic bliss. 

"In this enviable position, the news of war 
found Szdroi. As a person of consideration and 
devoted patriotism, he was chosen commander of a 
battalion of national guards for the county, which 
onerous distinction he willingly accepted, in spite 
of his age and notwithstanding that he had to part 
with a fondly-loved wife and child, and all the 
wonted comforts of life. 

" At that time he thought, as little as the rest of 
his countrymen, that the campaign then commenced 
would prove anything more than a short military 
excursion ; Szdroi, therefore, set out at the head of 
his battalion, without taking any precautionary 
measures against future reverses, promising his 
family a speedy return. But ' man proposes, and 
God disposes.' The gigantic development of events 
required Szdrdi's constant presence in the camp, 
preventing him putting his intention into effect; 
when the sudden and tragic termination of the 
struggle at one fell stroke destroyed the social and 
political prosperity of the nation, involving his own 
in the ruin of millions around him. But yesterday 
fortune's favourite, to-day Szdroi wandered forth a 
roofless outlaw, hunted from place to place by a 



118 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

merciless foe, in whose Vandalic grasp no life, no 
right, no property were safe. 

" Under such circumstances, the most prominent 
patriots had no alternative but certain death or 
indefinite exile ; the latter scarcely less awful than 
death, as it at once severs the most tender ties of 
home and happiness, taking everything save the 
consciousness of slow decay, and leaving in the 
yearning and aching heart a void, which nought 
else can fill up. 

" After several narrow escapes, and without once 
again beholding his family, Szordi contrived to 
cross the frontiers in the company of a young 
friend named Arpad, with whom he reached Ham- 
burgh in safety. At that time Szordi numbered 
more than sixty years. 

" Although not a man to be overtaken by despair 
at the first outset, yet his trackless future was 
shrouded in such gloom and hopelessness, that at 
times his energies entirely succumbed to an over- 
whelming dejection. And no wonder that it was 
so. For is it not almost maddening to feel con- 
demned, like another Ahasver, to roam restlessly 
from land to land, with no welcome awaiting the 
wanderer, no couch prepared on which to rest his 
weary limbs, haunted by the idea of being every- 
where an intruder, a burden, and thus driven about 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 119 

by fate's caprices, never again to anchor in that 
placid, sunny bay called Home ? The unusual ex- 
citement which, during a period of overstrained 
activity, had sustained his strength, having now 
subsided, a prostrating reaction took place in 
Szdroi, the more destructive, as it was not even 
brightened by the buoyancy of youth. For him, 
the recovery of his home lay beyond the circum- 
scribed limits of the few wintry years he had 
still to live, and on the darkened surface of his 
present there floated only one single spot of light 
to cheer his blighted spirit, and that was the pro- 
spect of a re-union with his family, for whose sake 
he resolved to try to struggle on. 

" Having sent the news of his escape to his wife, 
which she, however, never received, and summoned 
her to join him in exile, he, together with Arpad, 
decided at once to cross over to England, where he 
hoped, for the sake of our fallen country, the 
people would give him a cordial welcome. 

" Under the influence of this hope he embarked 
on board a Hamburgh steam-packet, and on the 
third day landed in London, at the St. Katherine's 
wharf. A dark and foggy November day welcomed 
the exiles to the world's metropolis. This, toge- 
ther with the blackened, dismal places they beheld 
from the steamer, considerably dimmed their bright 



120 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

visions, which their reception at the Custom-house 
by no means cleared up. There they were not only 
subjected to a description of their persons, as if 
suspected of some evil doings, but on leaving the 
interior of that very prison-like building, they had 
besides to pay certain duties, the names of which 
they never learned. 

" Such treatment on the soil of a free nation 
contributed little towards dissipating the gathering 
clouds of sadness, and the farther the aged exile 
penetrated into the vast and gloomy city the 
heavier they pressed upon him. 

* { A custom-house is a very cheerless entrance to 
the land of a great people ! ' remarked Szdrdi, with 
a deep sigh, to his companion, during their drive to 
Leicester-square, where they alighted at one of the 
Trench hotels. From thence the friends set out to 
call upon a countryman, who, from his long resi- 
dence in London, would be the best able to trace 
out a plan by which they might save their future 
existence from entire shipwreck. 

" In a distant corner of the "West-end they with 
much difficulty discovered the object of their search. 
* Thank God ! ' exclaimed Szoroi, on entering the 
house, ' we are once more under a friend's roof.' 

" ' Have you only lately arrived from Hungary ? ■ 
asked Kordelyi, their host, after a hurried greeting. 



FEOM EASTEBN" ETJBOPE. 121 

' How do matters stand there ? But I need not 
ask — everything is lost ! ' 

"'Except glory!' remarked Szordi; 'and we 
trust, the knowledge of that may have even reached 
England.' 

"'No doubt it has,' replied Kordelyi. 'The 
English testify unbounded sympathy in our behalf. 
Yesterday they held another crowded meeting, at 
which several spirited speeches were made against 
usurpers and their misrule.' 

"'This is cheering intelligence,' said Arpad; 
1 although our hapless position requires more than 
a mere display of oratorical power. Look, for ex- 
ample, at our gray-haired compatriot ; he has sacri- 
ficed all for his country, escaping solely with his 
life, and now possesses not even strength and 
health to gain bread by the labour of his hands. 
He, and many others in the same situation, would 
prefer, were the choice theirs, private benevolence 
to public demonstrations.' 

" ' I will do all I possibly can for our old friend,' 
suggested Kordelyi ; ' but you must not form any 
bright idea of a reception like one in our own land : 
here you do not find such unlimited hospitality as 
we were wont to offer to strangers. The English 
are peculiarly reserved towards foreigners ; and we 
cannot expect that they will relax for our sakes. 

M 



122 BUEAL AND HISTOBICAI. GLEANINGS 

All we may hope for is a subscription, which has, 
indeed, already commenced, and is proceeding 
favourably. Moreover, I can introduce you to 
some families; you will then become acquainted 
with English customs and manners, and thus be 
able to judge for yourself.' 

" Kordelyi kept his word. 

"The novelty and the interest surrounding them 
at first attracted much attention, and they were 
subsequently invited to many a gay party, where 
Szoroi's venerable mien and noble figure made a 
deep impression on all present : his hopes gradually 
revived with the increasing number of their ac- 
quaintances. 

After each entertainment he felt more con- 
vinced, that one of those solicitous friends who 
had expressed such warm sympathy for his 
misfortunes, would sooner or later find a quiet 
place of refuge for him. Delighted with this 
imaginary prospect he often conferred with Arpad 
on the one darling theme of his heart, and with 
touching fondness drew a picture of the contented 
life he would lead in some secluded country spot 
with his family, who, so he believed, were already 
on their way to England, and in whom his dearest 
treasures of home would be restored. 

" Poor old man, how illusory were his hopes ! 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 123 

How differently were his expectations, his wishes, 
realised ! 

" He had soon to learn what trifling weight was 
to "be attached to verbal assurances of sympathy. 
The experience of each succeeding day strength- 
ened the painful conviction that few, if any, were 
really sincere : at any rate but for the moment. 
As he entered the gay saloons with an expression 
of feigned pleasure, not one of those who over- 
whelmed him with all kinds of questions ever in- 
quired how it fared with him in the land of his 
exile; whether he really felt as he appeared? 
whether that tranquil but pale face did not sadly 
belie his heart ? and whether he had not, besides 
his moral sufferings, to contend with heavy mate- 
rial cares ? His friends thought they helped him 
to forget his misfortunes in permitting him a fleet- 
ing glance of their happy firesides, a momentary 
refuge within their luxurious homes. It soon 
became evident that even for that short-lived hospi- 
tality he was indebted chiefly to curiosity and a 
love of lion-hunting. For, when the novelty of 
his first appearance had worn off, and his hosts 
discovered that little amusement was to be derived 
from a man acquainted neither with the language 
nor the customs of the country ; when they re- 
flected, too, that the destitute exile might even 



124 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

solicit their aid, they became gradually indifferent 
and reserved ; till at last, he plainly saw that he 
was no longer a welcome guest. 

" This, and many other petty vexations, which in 
the ordinary course of life would have passed 
almost unobserved, added continual aliment to 
Szdroi's melancholy, and naturally led him to the 
comparison of his present humiliating position with 
his former independent one, and the result only 
increased the evil. In the bright sphere of his 
past life he had contracted a far too favourable view 
of the world and of human nature. Surrounded by 
plenty, he only knew the enviable position of a 
benefactor ; and now, for the first time, he had to 
learn, to his dismay, the immense difference that 
exists between affording and asking relief. This 
sad lesson the old man acquired at a moment when 
an unusual pressure of adversity had already 
shaken the lofty structure of his moral convictions, 
which, unable to withstand such incessant assaults, 
now gradually fell to ruins at every rude touch of 
the outer world. Eor days Szordi shut himself 
up in his room, feeling less miserable in solitude 
than in contact with a world between which and 
his dreary existence yawned a daily widening gap 
of disappointed hopes. 

"The protracted uncertainty he was kept in by 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 125 

the silence of his wife filled his mind with appre- 
hensions of a still more serious nature. Months 
had now elapsed since he left his country, and still, 
notwithstanding the letters he had repeatedly 
written, no news from the Theiss had reached him. 
It was possible, he thought, in the unsettled state of 
aifairs there, that their correspondence might have 
been intercepted ; but then he knew, that several 
of his exiled friends had long since received written 
tidings from their sorrowing relations. There 
might be yet another reason for this incomprehen- 
sible silence ; another, that in sleepless nights pre- 
sented itself, like a fearful spectre, to Szoroi's ex- 
cited fancy, namely, that a wave of that deluge 
which inundated his fatherland had possibly de- 
stroyed his home, burying under its ruins all 
dearest to him in life. No, that could not have 
occurred ; a merciful Grod had no doubt preserved 
them and probably the following day he might re- 
ceive the longed-for tidings. Yet in vain did he 
try to soften his apprehension with such-like airy 
arguments. Day after day the postman's knock 
re-echoed in his yearning heart ; but he came and 
went and still no foreign letter made its appear- 
ance. This, however, was not all: to his moral 
sufferings was added the pressure of material 
wants. One day Arpad, who had the manage- 

m2 



126 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

ment of their small household, informed his old 
friend that their means of living were rapidly 
melting away. This was but too true. The little 
money they had brought with them had been long 
since spent, also some jewels sold ; and, as there 
appeared no chance of succour from home, they 
could almost foretel the moment when "Want with 
all its terrors would cross their threshold. It is 
true a committee of some noble-minded English- 
men had in the meantime been formed for the 
benefit of the exiles. They offered money to 
Szordi, as well as to others, on condition that they 
immediately crossed the Atlantic. But the old 
man's susceptible mind, which sighed for gentler 
assistance, shrunk at the thought of accepting aid 
in that way, and for that purpose. Was he to be 
blamed for such delicacy ? Perhaps he carried it 
too far. A man in his destitute circumstances, in 
his forlorn position, had no right to refuse assist- 
ance in whatever shape it was offered : no right to 
think what sort of relief would gratify him most 
and wound him least. Szordi, however, could not 
overcome his reluctance to accept a relief which 
would only widen the distance between him and 
his family : and with a feeling both of sorrow and 
humiliation he declined the tendered assistance, 
preferring rather to endure even greater hardships. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 127 

Thus difficulties visibly accumulated in the house- 
hold of the two exiles. 

"Their superfluities — and they certainly were 
not many, neither of much value — had been 
gradually sold or pawned, without warding off the 
advancing evil. From all that Szdroi had saved in 
his hasty flight, one treasure alone remained in his 
possession, which, as the dearest remembrance of the 
past, he always carried about with him. It was a Ma- 
donna of Carlo Dolce' s, of small size, but a master- 
piece in the expression of heavenly sweetness. 
The picture had been presented to him by his wife 
on their wedding-day and the sight of it had often 
comforted him in her absence, particularly during 
the dreary period of his exile. It was the nearest 
confidant of his hopes, his silent prayers, his fre- 
quent sufferings. The price of this treasure would 
doubtless relieve him for a considerable period from 
that inexorable pursuer, Want. But could he 
possibly give up that cherished souvenir? He 
thought not. It was like parting with the last link 
that bound him to his earthly blessings, and he felt 
almost convinced that if he did so, some other great 
calamity would befall him. Nevertheles the day 
came when he could no longer delay. With tears 
in his eyes the old man kissed his Madonna, and 
set out with it to an auction which, he had read in 



128 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

the newspaper, was to be held on that day in the 
vicinity of Piccadilly. He went to the appointed 
place. 

"'You have come rather late,' said the auc- 
tioneer ; ' by whom is the picture ?' 

"'By Carlo Dolce.' 

" ' "What price do you ask ?' 

" ' I think it is worth at least fifty guineas.' 

" ' That is too much for such a small thing,' 
remarked the auctioneer, after a cursory glance, 
which showed that he estimated a picture more for 
its size than its merit ; ' you may perhaps get the 
half of that sum, as our public prefer historical to 
religious subjects.' 

"'I shall be satisfied with any price/ replied 
Szoroi, with an aching heart. 

" c As the catalogue is already printed,' explained 
the clerk, 'we cannot insert your picture in it. 
But if you will stay to the end of the auction, 
which begins in a few minutes, I will then try to 
sell it.' 

" What was to be done ? Longer delay would 
but cause still more pain, and bring no rescue, so 
he resolved to get over it at once at any cost. He 
took a chair in a corner of the room, which slowly 
filled with people, and waited till the sale com- 
menced. The pictures hanging on the walls were 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 129 

put up and knocked down, with tiring uniformity, 
amidst the buzz of the bystanders. The trans- 
action took much time, and the hours passed with 
a tediousness which made each one appear like a day. 
Szoroi's patience was nearly exhausted. To divert 
his restless mind, he had already several times 
counted the number of the persons present and the 
paintings, and minutely examined everything re- 
markable in the room. Gradually every face grew 
familiar to him. But even when he had succeeded 
in lulling himself into momentary oblivion of his 
painful errand, his eyes wandered again to his Ma- 
donna, which hung just opposite to where he sat, 
and his thoughts resumed their old dreary course. 
Then he fancied he could trace in her sweet, soft 
glance a shade of reproach, and he felt inclined to 
rush to the spot where his talisman hung and 
rescue it from profane hands. But again the 
threatening figure of Want stepped between him 
and his Madonna, and kept him spellbound to his 
seat of torture. 

"These were hours of intense agony for the 
poor exile. The remembrance of by-gone happy 
days rose one after another before him, when he 
with a generous hand had patronized the young 
artists of his country ; when he himself had pur- 
chased at high prices many a valuable picture for his 



130 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

own gallery, now sacked or perhaps utterly de- 
stroyed by the invaders ; when he, with just pride, 
had led his delighted guests through his sanctuary of 
art ; when — oh, how many images connected with 
such saddening Whens rose and sunk on memory's 
faithful mirror, that, darkened as it was by clouds 
of sorrow, still reflected them with painful distinct- 
ness. At last the voice of the auctioneer recalled 
him from the glowing past to the cheerless present. 

" By the time the last picture in the catalogue 
was sold, so few persons remained that the auc- 
tioneer asked Szoroi if he would not postpone the 
transaction to a more opportune occasion. 

" ' I am weary of delay !' exclaimed the exile, with 
a feverish flush on his pale face. 

" His picture was accordingly put up. In breath- 
less anxiety the old man listened to every bid, but 
none exceeded the fourth part of the sum named ; 
for the Madonna, as it passed from hand to hand, 
was examined with not very admiring eyes. At 
last one of the bystanders, after a lengthened in- 
spection, offered fifteen guineas, for which, as no 
one outbade him, he obtained a masterpiece. 

" ' You have got even less than I anticipated,' re- 
marked the auctioneer, as he handed the money to 
Szoroi, keeping back ten per cent, for expenses. 

"The exile took the money mechanically, and 



FEOM EASTEEN ETTKOPE. 131 

walked slowly towards the purchaser to take a last 
farewell look at his Madonna. He could not help 
saying what a capital bargain he had made. 

" ' Do you think so P asked the other, in French. 

" * Of course I do. It is one of Carlo Dolce' s best.' 

u ' Tou are mistaken, sir ; the picture was sold as 
the production of one of our artists.' 

a * That is not possible,' exclaimed Szoroi, in sur- 
prise ; * I have had it in my possession for many 
years and can answer for its being a genuine one.' 

(t ' "Well, we may easily come to the truth by ask- 
ing the auctioneer himself.' They accordingly in- 
quired, and found that he had indeed in mistake 
given it out as the painting of an English artist. 

" * In that case it is but right to compensate you 
for the loss you have incurred,' said the buyer to 
Szoroi. 'I am an amateur and not a dealer in 
paintings, and I candidly acknowledge that the 
picture is well worth fifty guineas. "Will you, 
therefore, allow me to add the remainder of the 
sum to the amount already paid ? * 

"With some hesitation Szoroi consented. He 
then mentioned his name and circumstances to the 
amateur, who, already prepossessed in his favour, 
listened with visible interest to his recital and in 
return gave him his card and a hearty invitation 
to his house. 



132 EUEAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

" This unexpected generosity, which brought the 
affair to so favourable a termination, put the old 
exile in unusually good spirits. He hastened home 
to communicate the events of the day to his friend. 
Arpad listened delighted to his companion's tale, 
and asked with no small degree of curiosity who 
his new acquaintance was ? 

" * He handed me his card,' said Szdrdi, looking 
into his memorandum book. But it was not there, 
nor could he find it in his pockets, which he 
searched one after another. He had evidently lost 
the only clue to one of those few men who evince 
in actions, rather than in words, the nobleness of 
their character. 

"The money Szordi had thus obtained drove 
want from his dwelling, yet sorrow and ill health 
remained his stationary companions, sharing in his 
silent sufferings, and hastening on the consumption 
of the vital flame, which, now fluttering and low 
and kindled no longer by hope, was fast burning 
away. 

"Thus time wore on, week after week closing 
another page in life's account, till the inspiring 
season of spring arrived, filling alike hut and pa- 
lace with its genial sunbeams, its fragrant breath, 
its cheerful songs. Even the exiles, although far 
away from their own May, felt its animating influ- 



FBOM EASTEBN ETJBOPE. 133 

ence, and left their dwelling oftener than was their 
wont, to ramble across the soft green turf of Ken- 
sington G-ardens. 

" On one occasion, whilst examining the shrubs 
and trees along the gravel walk, Szdroi discovered 
upon a tablet at the foot of a young tree near 
the northern entrance the following inscription : 
* The spreading Hungarian Elm, native of Hungary, 
date of introduction unknown.' Had the exile sud- 
denly met with an old friend, he could not have 
been more joyfully surprised than he was at the 
sight of a tree from his native land. The dis- 
covery awoke in him deep emotion. He eagerly 
touched its boughs, which were spreading over the 
gravel walk, and looked with tenderness on the 
delicate leaves just shooting forth at the mysterious 
call of nature. For a long time he remained stand- 
ing before the tree, and whilst his eyes seemed 
fixed upon it, his thoughts wandered to the scenes 
of his infant sports. From the shattered wreck of 
old age he saw in the far, far vista, the images of 
youth unroll like fairy dreams, with their cloudless 
sky and radiant hues of innocent mirth and glowing 
happiness, images so cherished and regretted 
throughout life, and on which his spirits still lin- 
gered with unspeakable delight. * How well I can 
remember,' said Szoroi to Arpad, who stood silently 



134 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

gazing by his side, ' when, fifty years ago, I so nar- 
rowly escaped being killed by a fall from one of the 
ancient elm trees which surround the church of 
Boldog-Emlek, and beneath whose shade I so often 
played with others of the village youths. Tou 
know, Arpad, in the spire of our church a kind of 
hawk build their nests, the taking of which, owing to 
their almost inaccessible position, was looked upon 
by us as a wonderful feat of daring. The few boys 
who had accomplished it were so constantly boast- 
ing of their prowess that I, too, determined to 
share in their glory. I had, however, not only to 
climb to a dangerous height, but likewise to elude 
the vigilance of the churchwarden, a grim old man 
with spectral features, who, when he caught a boy on 
any mischievous errand within the precincts of his 
jurisdiction, administered with provoking coolness 
a severe castigation, without any consideration for 
rank or station. But, in spite of all such obstacles, 
I courageously went on with the preparations for 
carrying out my scheme. The warden had in his 
employ a lad, whom he kept for the purpose of 
ringing the bells, cleaning the church and other 
minor functions. By sundry presents of sweet- 
meats I succeeded in bribing him over to my side 
and one day he stole the keys of the church for me 
from under the bolster of his master's bed, which 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 135 

enabled me to mount to the belfry, in a remote 
nook of which the coveted nest was. I had already 
climbed up the frame work, and was in the act of 
taking the prize, when all of a sudden the voice 
of the churchwarden resounded from below, filling 
me with a terror not to be described. I at once 
forgot bird and nest, and commenced a rapid de- 
scent, but escape was too late. The pursuer 
had already mounted the stairs, and stood in a 
menacing attitude in the doorway of the belfry. 
My only chance of retreat was thus cut off. At 
the sight of his ghastly-looking countenance I 
was overcome by a kind of superstitious awe. I 
only thought of escaping his presence, without 
caring for the consequences, and at once jumped 
out of the nearest window. Luckily for me, just 
below that window stood a lofty elm tree, upon 
which I fell, tumbling and rolling from branch 
to branch with fearful rapidity, until I reached the 
ground. Notwithstanding my break-neck jour- 
ney, I sustained no injury, save some slight 
bruises. My mother then expressed her conviction 
that I was reserved by Providence one day to play 
an important role in the world's affairs. She little 
dreamt what a destiny awaited me !' 

" From that time the exile felt so great a predi- 
lection for the place where his ' young compatriot,' 



136 BUBAL AND RTSTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

as he called the Hungarian tree, stood, that he went 
thither almost daily, watching its growth with the 
same pleasure and interest as if it had really been 
a being endowed with consciousness. Once, when 
sitting with Arpad on a bench opposite his favour- 
ite, he said : ' See, friend, this tree is like myself, 
an exile ; like myself, it will never again touch its 
native land ; but it has the advantage over me of 
being young, of having a rich soil, wherein to spread 
and nourish its vigorous roots and of being tended 
by careful hands ; whilst I am an old trunk, thrown 
by a sudden storm upon barren ground, where the 
already withering roots will soon die away ! Hark !' 
he exclaimed, after a pause, 'how merrily that 
blackbird warbles its songs amidst the shady 
boughs ! Where are the birds who, for so long a 
period, cheered my spirits with their joyous lays ? 
Alas ! the howling tempest has scared them ; they 
have flown away never again to return, leaving only 
their cold, lonely nest behind ! How truly the 
poet says : 

Tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris.* * 

"Among Szordi'3 countrymen who were fortu- 
nate enough to escape the hand of the executioner, 
was a former neighbour, who arrived in London 

* In misfortune you will be left alone. 



EBOM EASTEEN EUBOPE. 137 

during the summer. He possessed full details 
of all that had occurred on the Theiss during 
Szoroi's absence, and, as it may be imagined, the 
intelligence was extremely depressing. Executions, 
confiscations, imprisonments, corporeal punish- 
ments, were the alternating events of the day. Of 
course Szoroi's property had been seized and he 
himself condemned to death in contumacy. But 
all this was of secondary importance to the old 
man ; he only anxiously inquired after his family, 
of whom he had as yet received no tidings. His 
neighbour, as if embarrassed by the knowledge of 
some painful secret, at first evaded a direct reply. 
The longer, however, he hesitated, the more impa- 
tient Szdrdi grew, urging him to reveal whatever 
news he had to communicate. Then, suddenly 
seized by a terrible presentiment, he said : * For 
God's sake do not keep me on the rack ; tell me at 
once that my wife is dead !' 

" ' No, I can assure you she is alive,' replied his 
neighbour from the Theiss. 

" Szdrdi, now in a rapture of joy, sprang into the 
arms of his compatriot, exclaiming, with tears of 
gratitude, ' Thank God, she lives ! O tell me all 
you know of her ; and of my boy ! How I long to 
embrace them once again !' 

" Strange to say, his countryman did not share 

n2 



138 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEA1QNGS 

in this joyous outbreak, and became only more 
grave and embarrassed. After a lengthened si- 
lence, he said : ' I see it is useless to keep you any 
longer in suspense, and to conceal from you. a truth 
which sooner or later you must learn. You are no 
doubt aware, that in the neighbourhood of Boldog- 
Emlek our troops had a bloody encounter with the 
Russians in July. Tour wife, foreseeing that in the 
event of fortune turning against us, the village, and 
especially your mansion, as was really the case, 
would be pillaged, resolved to fly with her child 
and all that she could hastily collect in money and 
jewels, and hide herself among the reeds until the 
danger had passed. In order to render her ap- 
pearance less striking, she put on a peasant's dress, 
and set out in a common waggon drawn by four of 
the fleetest steeds in your stable. 

" ' Unfortunately, in driving across the Puszta, 
she was spied by a patrol of Cossacks, who imme- 
diately commenced a hot pursuit after her. Al- 
though your horses were encumbered with a 
waggon, yet the small "tartars" of the Cossacks, 
however fleet, were no match for them in a race of 
many miles. This fact soon became evident, when 
Feri, your brave coachman, who afterwards related 
to me the details of that deplorable event, gave the 
reins to the steeds. The distance between them 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 139 

and their pursuers visibly widened, the course of 
the Theiss became each moment more distinct, and 
the swamps overgrown with reeds, where they 
would have been safe from every danger, lay before 
them, almost within a gun-shot, when an un- 
foreseen accident gave a most disastrous turn to 
the exciting scene. On that part of your estate 
the bogs are surrounded by a wide, long ditch, to 
prevent the cattle from straying amongst the reeds. 
Eeri knew that right well ; but he was also aware 
of the existence of a bridge over it, for which point 
he made in a direct line and at full speed. True 
enough, the bridge stood there ; but as it had not 
been used during the whole campaign, the frail 
fabric, consisting of a few crossbeams and posts, 
was quite out of repair ; so much so, that as the 
leaders set foot upon it, one of them got its leg be- 
tween the posts. This sudden check made the 
spirited animals unruly and Feri lost ten precious 
minutes in attempts to extricate his horse. He at 
last succeeded, but it was too late ! During that 
fatal halt, the enemy had gained upon them and 
came up just in time to prevent the coachman re- 
commencing the race. One of the band imme- 
diately fired off a pistol, which brought the poor 
fellow to the ground ; whilst another ruffian made 
a thrust with his lance at your wife. Although 



140 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANIKGS 

she escaped unhurt, a faint shriek proceeding from 
her boy, whom she held in her arms, told that the 
deadly weapon had found another victim. Having 
plundered the waggon, and leaving Peri apparently 
dead beneath it, the Cossacks tore the corpse of 
the child from its mother's convulsive grasp, and 
dragged her, as a suspected spy, before an Austrian 
court-martial, who, unable to extract anything im- 
portant from her either by threats or blows, threw 
her into prison. After a month's detention, having 
been accidentally recognised by an Austrian officer, 
a former friend, she was set at liberty. But the 
fearful scene on the Puszta, and the cruel treat- 
ment in prison, had in the meantime gradually un- 
dermined her reason, and on leaving that abode of 
horror she had forgotten all memory of the past, 
save that of her child/ 

"At the beginning of this woeful tale, Szordi 
appeared greatly agitated ; but as it proceeded, as 
every succeeding word, like so many blasts of the 
scorching Simoom, swept over the core of his being, 
his agitation changed to a calmness still more fear- 
ful to behold. His face became ghastly, his eyes 
staring and inane, and the struggling words froze 
upon his lips. He sunk, crushed by the thunder- 
bolt of a doom from which there was no recovery. 

" "When the old man's death-like torpor had 



PI10M EASTERN EUROPE. 141 

abated, Arpad attempted to console him. He 
listened patiently to his young friend's words ; but 
they fell upon a deadened ear. Once only Szoroi 
interrupted him by saying, with appalling calmness : 
1 Do not pain yourself in vain efforts to stay with a 
frail thread a block in its rapid course down a 
mountain ridge.' 

" A few days later Szoroi left his dwelling, as he 
said, for a short walk. Tet hour after hour 
elapsed, and he came not. "When evening passed, 
and midnight approached, without his return, 
Arpad grew alarmed. The next morning the post- 
man delivered a letter, in his friend's handwriting, 
whose terrible contents at once put an end to all 
conjectures concerning the fate of the exile. The 
letter ran thus : 

" ' My good Arpad, — Ere you receive this, I shall 
have closed my account with this world. It was, 
properly speaking, made up at the moment when I 
learnt that the last tie which bound me to this life 
had been so cruelly severed. Since then I have 
wandered about in perpetual agony, delaying my 
departure solely because I wanted power to 
carry out my design. Acquaint only our dearest 
friends with my death; the world here will not 
care about it, having cared little for me when living. 
I have no wish, no will, to intrust you with : still, 



142 ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

there is one single favour you may grant to your 
friend. Should the time ever arrive for you to re- 
turn free to our Theiss, to our Puszta, then, dear 
Arpad, think of the old man, who so willingly 
sacrificed his all in their defence and whose spirit 
will constantly linger around those spots where he 
spent his happiest days. Farewell. 

1 SzOEOl/ 

" While the noble-hearted patriot was pining in 
exile, his wife spent weeks in patient watching by 
the gate of her former prison, where she fancied 
her darling boy still dwelt, imploring every passer- 
by alternately in wild or gentle accents to restore 
to her the only object on which her darkened reason 
still fondly lingered. 

" As soon as I learnt her deplorable condition, I 
hastened thither with my daughter, and by dint of 
intreaties and assurances, we at length succeeded in 
inducing her to return and live with us ; but not 
until we had promised to deliver her boy, who, she 
fully believes, is still alive, from the power of the 
Austrians. She is perfectly harmless in her mad- 
ness and as gentle as a lamb. My Palma guides 
her about at will. She never speaks, but to remind 
me of my promise to rescue her child. This is 
altogether a melancholy story, sir, but not an iso- 
lated one. Go where you will in our poor country, 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 143 

you are haunted by such like spectres in one shape 
or other ! " 

I felt so distressed by what I had seen and heard, 
both on the Puszta and in the notary's house, that, 
in spite of his kind and hospitable reception, I was 
very glad when, early on the following morning, he 
announced that a carriage with four steeds was 
already at the door awaiting to convey me back to 
the metropolis. 



144 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE PBOSCEIPTION. 

A few weeks after my return to the capital, a 
friend called upon me for the purpose of obtaining 
letters of introduction for London. On my in- 
quiring whether he wished them by way of busi- 
ness or pleasure, he asked me if I knew a Dr. 
Honvagy ? 

" Prom hearsay only," was my answer. 

"That same Dr. Honvagy," he continued, "has 
a brother in exile, with whom he is or rather was 
in correspondence, which, however, was restricted 
entirely to family matters. This, together with 
the doctor's reputation for patriotism, was suffi- 
cient to make him suspected of treasonable con- 
nexions ; and accordingly three days ago he was 
suddenly arrested and imprisoned in the Neuge- 
b'aude. Not satisfied with this unjustifiable pro- 
ceeding, the Grovernment at the same time issued 
a decree of proscription against his whole family, 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 145 

on the plea that their house had ever been an 
asylum for outlaws and emissaries. In forty-eight 
hours Honvagy' s wife and children are to leave 
their home and all dear to them, and wander forth 
to foreign lands with breaking hearts, and the 
prospect of perishing in some unknown corner of 
the world in want and misery. You may, there- 
fore, imagine what benefit you will confer on that 
family by furnishing them with a few letters of 
introduction for England to those who will look 
kindly upon them in their misfortune." 
" When are they to leave Pesth ? " 
" To-morrow morning by the early train." 
I dismissed my friend with a promise of ren» 
dering the proscribed family all the assistance in 
my power, and wrote half a dozen letters, which 
I was about forwarding to Mrs. Honvagy, when it 
occurred to me that if I delivered them myself I 
might, perhaps, give some useful advice as to 
their journey. No sooner had this idea suggested 
itself than I set off to seek my friend. Fortu- 
nately I found him at home, and we at once pro- 
ceeded to Honvagy' s house; where, though not 
previously acquainted with the family, I received 
a most hearty welcome. Mrs. Honvagy begged 
me with such winning kindness to spend the 
evening with them, that I could not possibly re- 
fuse the hospitable invitation. She introduced 

o 



146 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

me to her two grown up daughters, on whose 
careworn faces I remarked traces of recent tears. 
A boy about eight years old completed the family. 
He was soon quite at home with me, and after a 
variety of questions as to our sea-girt isle, he all at 
once looked full at me with his earnest, intelligent 
black eyes, and asked whether I thought the 
Danube was wide and deep enough to float a man-of- 
war ; as he was determined to become an Admiral, 
and return with a fleet and army to rescue his 
fatherland. 

"How happy children are in their innocent 
dreams ! " exclaimed the mother, trying to smile, 
while the tears filled her eyes. 

"I am not dreaming, mother," said the boy, in a 
half reproachful tone. " Have you forgotten what 
you yourself told me of Francis Rakoczi ? How 
he returned at the head of a few hundred men, and 
in a year afterwards delivered our country from the 
power of the Austrians ? " 

Besides the Doctor's family, there were many 
ladies present, whose numbers were gradually in- 
creased by fresh arrivals. Amongst the latter I 
recognised several distinguished alike by birth and 
patriotism. They were all apparently old and tried 
friends of the hostess, who, notwithstanding that 
a gendarme was keeping watch at the gate, now 
came to prove that they were true to her in the 



TEOM EASTEEE" ETTKOPE. 147 

liour of adversity. All sought to offer consola- 
tion, but to no purpose ; and at length themselves 
gave way to the depression and sadness which 
prevailed. It seemed as if they had assembled to 
take a last farewell at the dying bed of a friend 
inexpressibly dear to all, and the consciousness of 
this haunted them like a troubled dream. Sorrow 
was written upon every face, and reverberated in 
every sound that escaped their trembling lips. The 
conversation was at last carried on rather by 
looks than words, and those looks expressed an 
anguish so contagious at such moments, and so 
well understood by hearts moved alike by one idea, 
one feeling. They all knew that the sentence 
which had that day proscribed their friends might 
strike home to them to-morrow, and alike sever 
their most sacred ties. 

The door again opened, and the Countess B. 
entered. 

"Oh, how kind, how unselfish you are!" ex- 
claimed the hostess, deeply touched on seeing her. 
" You come here to this marked house at the risk of 
being subjected to some ignominious treatment for 
having done so ! " 

" Do not fear for me," replied the Countess, with 
the tears of sympathy on her fair cheeks, now 
glowing with pride and courage. " Neither 
threats nor punishment shall ever prevent me 



148 BUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

from fulfilling my duty. I am an Hungarian, and 
as such I will live and die, in spite of exile and 
dungeons." 

The presence of this brave woman seemed to 
inspire every one with confidence. Their spirits 
rose, and the conversation gradually became more 
genial. 

" Cheer up, dear friend," said the Countess to 
Mrs. Honvagy ; " only think how many of our 
countrywomen, how I myself have had to suffer for 
our country's sake. God will support you, as he 
has supported many of us, and will lend strength 
to those who may yet have to endure a similar fate. 
Nay," she continued, in a sweet, persuasive tone, on 
remarking the tears chasing each other down the 
hostess's cheeks, "you must not let your courage 
sink just at the moment when you need it most. 
Remember the holy cause for which you suffer, and 
that a time will come, sooner perhaps than even 
we anticipate, when the noblest reward, the sight 
of our liberated fatherland, will compensate for all 
our trials ! Suppose," said the Countess, turning 
round to the rest of the party, "we were to 
pass the evening with the recital of some of 
the patriotic traits of our countrywomen ? I am 
sure each of us must know one or more worthy of 
mention." 

The proposal met with general assent, and the 



EBOM EASTEBN EUEOPE. 149 

Countess commenced with the following episode 
from the life of one of her intimate friends : — 

" In a northern county lives the Baroness M., 
universally esteemed for her many feminine virtues. 
Previous to the invasion of the Austrians, she had 
three sons. They were her pride and joy, and they 
well deserved to be so ; for all the three were 
brave, chivalrous young men, passionately attached 
to their country ; in a word, they were genuine 
Magyars. Before the outbreak of hostilities, the 
eldest of the brothers had retired from the Hun- 
garian Noble G-uard; the second managed the 
family estates, and the third, a priest, held a rich 
living. When the enemy had crossed the boun- 
daries of the realm, the young men felt that the 
moment for action had arrived ; they accordingly 
decided upon entering the ranks of the Honveds, 
and communicated their resolution to their mother, 
who at once recognising the necessity of the step, 
sent them with her blessing to join the retreating 
army. The eldest M. was named sub-commander 
of a small fortress near the frontiers. The second 
remained about the person of Gorgey, as ordnance 
officer, and the priest was appointed chaplain to 
the main army. The military career of all three 
was distinguished by instances of great bravery. 
Even the priest would not allow his brothers to 
surpass him. On several occasions he placed him- 

o2 



150 ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

self, cross in hand, at the head of the Honveds, and 
by his example, like a second John Capistran, ani- 
mated them to irresistible attacks. His day of 
glory, however, was gained at Kapolna, on the 
27th of February, 1849. He there led a battalion 
amidst a most destructive fire of the enemy to a 
desperate assault upon the village. Having ad- 
vanced to the middle of it, the battalion was sur- 
rounded by an overwhelming force, and the men 
taken prisoners. Tet undaunted by this disas- 
trous turn in affairs, the chaplain, with the aid of 
his heavy silver cross, broke a path through the 
ranks of the assailants, and with a few followers 
made good his retreat to the Hungarian line. 

* While our army was falling back behind the 
Theiss, the eldest M. kept at his post in the for- 
tress, and for six weeks effectually defended the 
half decayed walls against a besieging corps. But 
the commander from the first moment, doubtful as 
to the issue of the contest, entered into a secret 
negotiation with the enemy, and opened the gates 
at discretion without the knowledge and consent 
of his sub-commander. The men were made pri- 
soners of war, save M. and a few of his comrades, 
who, owing to their persevering resistance, were 
put in chains, like common felons, and thrown into 
the prison at Pressburg. 

" The Baroness M. was no sooner acquainted with 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 151 

the fate of her eldest son, than she hastened to 
Vienna to implore the mercy of the Emperor, and 
in consequence of her urgent solicitations, she at 
last obtained an assurance that his imprisonment 
should only be of short duration. 

" In the meantime M. had to endure all the bar- 
barities of an Austrian military inquisition. His 
judges made daily attempts to shake his fidelity to 
his country, both by offers of pardon and by with- 
holding from him the common necessaries of life. 
Yet neither the one nor the other had any effect 
upon him. In the consciousness of having done 
his duty, he remained inflexible to the last, and, on 
being summoned to petition the Emperor for his 
life, he refused with indignation. During a- con- 
finement of five months, his spirits successfully re- 
sisted this ignoble treatment ; but his frame, 
though vigorous, gradually succumbed to a linger- 
ing fever, and he felt the rapid approach of the 
moment when death would release him from the 
persecutions of his jailers. The latter, however, were 
aware of the precarious state of his health, and re- 
solved at once to strike the final blow. One evening 
in June they accordingly passed sentence of death 
upon him, together with his comrade, Captain 
G-ruber, and at early dawn on the following morning 
the two patriots were led through the deserted streets 
of the town to the Castle-hill, where they were sue- 



152 ETTKAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

cessively hung. Their heroic death was witnessed 
only by a detachment of Austrian soldiers and 
the rising sun, who upon his first rays bore their 
parting souls upwards to that better home, where 
there is no oppression and no vain struggle for 
what is just and right. 

"The mother's long and anxious suspense and 
the sanguine hopes she had cherished, were all 
terminated by the terrible news of her son's exe- 
cution, which reached her two days after it had 
taken place. To complete her misery, her daugh- 
ter, now the only comfort of her deserted home, 
fell dangerously ill at the tidings. In the moment 
of anguish, with a heart almost broken under the 
weight of her sufferings, the high-minded woman 
not alone sought to console those around her, but 
likewise addressed the following letter to her sur- 
viving sons : — ' Both I and the country have lost a 
beloved and devoted son. May God forgive his 
executioners ! I know you will be deeply grieved 
at the news of his death, and still more so at the 
manner of it. But, whether on the battle-field or 
on the scaffold, he died the death of a patriot. 
Keep his example in mind, and remember that you 
have now to redouble your zeal, that the country 
may feel the loss of your brother less than I do.' " 

As the Countess concluded, every eye lighted 
up, every cheek glowed and every bosom heaved 



EROM EASTERN" EUROPE. 153 

with excitement ; her suggestion had worked a 
most favourable revolution on the spirits of her fair 
auditors. It was evident that enthusiasm was 
taking the place of despondency, and that those 
who but a few moments previously had felt so de- 
jected and powerless, would now have joyfully 
braved any hardship, nay, even death for their be- 
loved country. Under the influence of this enthu- 
siasm, the Baroness 0. related the succeeding nar- 
rative : — 

" In the hut we meet with as much devoted love 
of country as in the castle, but with more misery ; 
inasmuch as in the former material are added to 
moral sufferings. In a small cottage of a populous 
town, on the right bank of the Danube, dwells an 
elderly widow, surrounded by five orphan chil- 
dren. Grief, ill health and want have left in- 
effaceable traces on her furrowed cheeks ; so much 
so, that at first sight it is difficult to believe that 
so firm and lofty a spirit animates her feeble 
frame. This poor woman was the wife of General 
S., who, after a service of thirty-five years in the 
Austrian army, having, at the command of the king 
taken the oath of allegiance to the Hungarian Con- 
stitution, in his simple but incorrupt ed mind 
thought it preferable to remain faithful and to die, 
than to save his existence at the price of perjury. 
Thus he made one of the unfortunate thirteen who 



154 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

were immolated at Arad. A former comrade of S., 
moved by his widow's needy circumstances, with- 
out her knowledge interceded for her at court ; 
and the young Emperor, after the true fashion of 
tyrants, having injured her irreparably, graciously 
consented to cover the wounds with a plaster of a 
few Austrian bank notes. The governor of the 
town hastened to communicate the joyous tidings 
to the widow. She heard the announcement with 
anything but pleasure, and, after a short reflection, 
replied : ' Though necessity urges me to take ad- 
vantage of the Emperor's offer, still my conscience 
forbids my doing so. I feel that I should disgrace 
my husband's memory and the misfortunes of my 
fatherland were I to accept the price of blood to 
provide for my daily bread. If it is the will of Pro- 
vidence that I and my children should perish, 
His will be done ; we shall but share their father's 
fate.' 

" Her righteous refusal brought its just reward. 
The angel of mercy gathered the words as they fell 
from her lips, and disseminated them through the 
length and breadth of the land, and whenever they 
reached the ears of other patriotic women, they lost 
no time in bringing material aid to the dwelling of 
thewidovr, and affording her that consolation which 
woman's sympathy alone can effectively adminis- 
ter." 



EROM EASTERN EUEOPE. 155 

This narrative ended, a girl of striking beauty 
blushingly asked permission to tell her story, which 
on being granted she began : — 

"I have a friend living on the banks of the 
Theiss, to whom I not long since paid a visit. She 
is the daughter of a nobleman of the name of B., 
formerly rich in estates and honours; since the 
close of the war, however, rich but in suffering and 
the esteem of his country. B. acted during the 
war as Government Commissioner, and, when all 
was over, with difficulty saved his life by the sacri- 
fice of his extensive property. While his son, a 
distinguished Honved officer, was sentenced to 
fourteen years' imprisonment, B., with stoical 
equanimity, exchanged his castle for a hut, and 
aided by his daughter, Johanka, undertook the cul- 
tivation of a few acres, the remnant of his ruined 
fortunes. Notwithstanding his reduced circum- 
stances, B. can still call himself rich in the posses- 
sion of such a daughter. During the vicissitudes 
of the war she gave many proofs of her strength of 
mind, her devotion to her father, and, above all, 
her transcendent patriotism. Her beauty and 
attainments were not less striking than her supe- 
rior character, and she still retains the reputation 
of being the fairest of the many fair ones in her 
county. Amongst her numerous suitors was an 
Austrian cavalry officer, high in rank and of great 



156 ETJBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

wealth, who, previous to the political troubles, had 
often enjoyed B.'s splendid hospitality, and now, 
being quartered with his regiment in the vicinity of 
his present abode, renewed his acquaintance with 
the family. It was soon apparent that Johanka's 
charms had entirely captivated the officer's heart, 
and of this he at length gave unmistakeable evi- 
dence by proposing formally for her hand. He 
promised to promote her happiness in every way, 
to procure her brother's freedom, to reinstate her 
father in his former possessions ; in short, not a 
wish of hers should be left ungratified. * I thank 
you for your good intentions,' rejoined the brave 
girl, with heaving breast and flashing eyes. * I see 
you have the will and the power to redress some of 
the wrongs perpetrated on my family ; yet there 
still remains an obstacle, which, in spite of all your 
endeavours, you never can remove, and that is the 
consciousness that I am the daughter of that 
country against which you have borne arms, and 
which you still aid in oppressing ! ' 

" This signal defeat at the hand of a girl deeply 
pained the haughty officer ; so much the more as 
he was compelled to own to himself that, whilst 
there existed such patriotic women, Hungary could 
not be looked upon as conquered." 

After the courageous refusal of the noble 
Johanka had been discussed and applauded at full 



FEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 157 

length, an elderly lady offered to take her turn ; 
and though her tale, she said, would pain her feel- 
ings as a mother, yet, on the other hand, it would 
gladden her patriotic pride, as it proved how far 
the female sex are capable of devotion to their 
fatherland. 

" There is scarcely one amongst you with whom 
the name of the Baroness J. is not familiar. She is 
a woman gifted alike with high intellectual and 
moral qualities. The close of the war found her a 
widow ; her husband, one of the most enlightened 
and energetic supporters of our country's cause, 
having perished on the scaffold which was at that 
time ascended by so many noble men, that since 
then, at least in our country, it is no longer looked 
upon as the brand of infamy, but as the reward of 
patriotism. The Baroness J. had a son, who, 
during the struggle at home was, as an Austrian 
officer, aiding to expel liberty from Italy. His 
mother was not a little grieved to see him pursuing 
so culpable a course ; yet his youth and inexperi- 
ence, and still more his remoteness from his father- 
land, afforded at least a seeming excuse for such 
conduct. The noise of battle on the banks of the 
Danube and Theiss was followed by wholesale 
executions and the mute, heartrending mourning 
of the nation. It was at this period that the 
young J. obtained leave of absence to visit his 



158 RUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

family. The news of his coming brought comfort 
to the mother, who hoped that his views were 
altered, and that he would still share her tears and 
become the confidant of her sad and dear remem- 
brances. 

" On a gloomy and dull November day a carriage 
drove into the court yard of her castle, and from it 
a man alighted in the uniform of an Austrian 
officer. Such visits for the sake of domiciliary search 
were then of almost daily occurrence, so that the 
Baroness thought but little of the new arrival, 
when, to her painful surprise, she recognised her 
own son in the wearer of the detested uniform. 
* Is it possible,' she exclaimed, in accents of distress, 
'that you can still wear the livery of those who 
murdered your noble father and despoiled the coun- 
try of its inalienable rights ? Do you not feel that 
your white coat stands as a hideous spectre between 
you and your fatherland, between you and your 
mother ?' The son looked rather confused, then 
touched by his mother's appeal, and on her implor- 
ing him to leave the Austrian service, he replied 
evasively and asked for a month's reflection. 
During this time he was constantly absent from 
home visiting the officers in the neighbouring gar- 
rison, and at the close of the stipulated period for 
consideration he acquainted the Baroness with his 
resolution to return to his regiment. He spoke of 



FHOM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 159 

his military honour and duty, and gave her to un- 
derstand that Hungary had received but due chas- 
tisement for her disloyal proceedings. The poor 
mother listened for awhile to this declaration in 
speechless horror and amazement. The more she 
gazed upon him, the more he seemed to grow into 
the likeness of the executioner of her husband and 
of his father. At length she could no longer bear 
his presence. Maddened at the declaration of 
such opinions and feelings on the part of her hus- 
band's son, patriotic wrath subdued in her bosom 
the instinct of maternal love, and she pronounced 
upon her degenerate child the most awful of curses 
—the curse of a mother! " 

" That was truly a Spartan trait," said my friend 
as the speaker ceased, " and well worthy of record 
in the annals of our country. As we are now en 
train, the ladies will perhaps allow me to take my 
turn with an incident from the life of a young 
woman in humble life, who was influenced by the 
same lofty enthusiasm, though called forth under 
other circumstances and with a different result." 
Permission was granted, and my friend continued. 
" One of the mountain passes leading from eastern 
Hungary into Transylvania winds through the 
picturesque and romantic valley of the Maros river. 
The pass is in one place defended by the fortress 
of Deva, which, though small, still on account of its 



160 BTJEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

inaccessible site upon a high steep rock on the left 
bank of the Maros, is one of great strength and 
importance. Towards the close of the war Deva 
belonged to us, and was garrisoned by one officer, 
two sub-officers, and forty-seven privates, most of 
them young Szekler recruits. 

"After General Bern had been driven by the 
Russians from Transylvania, the entire country 
fell into their power, save a part of Szeklerland 
and the castle of Deva. The latter, after a fruit- 
less summons to surrender, was invested by the 
enemy. The siege, or rather blockade had lasted 
about a fortnight, when Grb'rgey's treacherous sur- 
render at Vilagos ensued. The besiegers lost no 
time in acquainting the garrison with this terrible 
event, warning them at the same time not to ag- 
gravate their fate by a further useless resistance. 
The communication, though at first considered in 
the fortress as a snare, soon turned out to be but 
too true, as the report was confirmed by the ar- 
rivals from the disbanded armies. The commander 
of Deva with whose name I am, to my regret, un- 
acquainted, was one of those rare characters who 
do not reckon their life by days but by deeds, and 
whose courage, keeping pace with the increasing 
danger, excites them, amidst the general despon- 
dency, to mark their retirement from the stage of 
action by some memorable achievement. Seeing 



FROM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 161 

the fruitlessness of a protracted defence the com- 
mander informed his men of their desperate situa- 
tion. He spoke to them as Leonidas must have 
spoken to his three hundred Greeks at Thermopylae, 
and at length wrought the enthusiasm of his young 
soldiers to such a height, that death seemed to them 
preferable to submission. One and all solemnly 
swore to perish in the fortress, the only spot that 
in the whole of their fatherland could yet be called 
free. Deva being provided with a large store of 
gunpowder, it was after a short debate decided 
that they should blow themselves up together with 
their trust. In order, however, that the manner 
of their death might come to the knowledge of 
their relatives, one of their comrades was to be 
sent off to their mountain homes before the de- 
cisive moment took place. Though each of them 
had either parents or friends, or some being even 
yet more dear, nevertheless, not one would accept 
the offer of life and separate from his companions ; 
so that the commander was obliged to decide by 
lot who was to be the bearer of the fatal message. 

" Besides the men there was also the wife of a 
sub-officer in the fortress, who, it had been ar- 
ranged, was to accompany the messenger home. 
But the brave woman, instead of taking advantage 
of that opportunity to save her life, announced her 
determination, at all events to share her husband's 

p2 



162 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

fate, and, urged on by patriotic inspiration, im- 
plored for permission to set fire herself to the gun- 
powder ; as the Hungarian heroine had done three 
centuries before in the castle of Veg-Veszely, when, 
seeing the place stormed by the Turks, she threw 
the lighted torch into the powder magazine and 
blew herself up together with hundreds of the 
savage foemen. Such romantic heroism in a woman 
filled the men even on the brink of destruction with 
unbounded admiration, and the commander, at their 
unanimous desire, granted the extraordinary request. 

" On the evening of the 18th of August, 1849, 
after the last solemn farewell had been taken and 
the messenger let down from the walls by means of 
a rope, all at once an immense column of fire and 
smoke rose from the rocky projection, accompanied 
by a terrible explosion, which shook the neighbour- 
hood for miles around. In another moment the 
small town at the foot of the castle rock was 
covered with the falling ruins of the fortress, which 
had disappeared from its lofty position. 

" The deed was done. The fifty Szeklers had 
sealed their fidelity to their fatherland with their 
lives ; but the crown belongs to the woman who 
with superhuman courage lighted the fiery train 
which hurried those heroic spirits into eternity." 

No sooner was this stirring episode of Deva at 
an end, than another of the ladies began : — 



FROM EASTERN" EUROPE. 163 

" In the long list of talented poets, who in later 
times made themselves conspicuous on the Hun- 
garian Parnassus, was one whose productions, from 
their patriotic tendency, became great favourites 
with the people. The name of this bard is Sarosy. 
His genius, however, was encased in a frail shrine. 
He could bear no exertion and had constantly to 
struggle against attacks of ill health. Shortly be- 
fore the country was officially pronounced to be in 
danger, Sarosy married. The young wife was as 
much attached to her land as to her husband and, 
seeing all their neighbours take up arms and 
hasten to the defence of their hearths, pressed 
him so earnestly to do the same, that Sarosy in a 
moment of enthusiasm, forgetting the precarious 
state of his health, expressed himself willing to 
change the lyre for the sword and join a troop of 
volunteers. In order, however, that in the camp 
he might not be deprived of the attention so indis- 
pensable for him, his wife resolved to accompany 
her husband, and at his side faithfully share all the 
hardships and dangers of the campaign. Strange 
to say, the novelty and excitement of a soldier's life 
wrought favourably upon Sarosy' s constitution. 
His wife, known amongst the corps as ' The little 
Amazon/ remained near him during every fray, 
in which he took an active part. When the day's 
fight was over and the sword sheathed, the Honveds 



164< RTTEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

gathered round the popular bard, and Sarosy sung 
to them of their own brave exploits. Truly, poetry 
was never put to a nobler and more practical use 
than in those times of peril and glory, of turmoil 
and repose. Thus spring passed with its honey 
months of victory ; then came summer, bringing in 
lieu of flowers only devastating storms. Towards 
the end of July, the Hungarians had a sanguinary 
encounter with the Russians near Debreczen. It 
cost the former a considerable number of their best 
men, amongst whom was Sarosy himself. "When 
pierced through the breast his wife, as she staunched 
his gushing blood, exclaimed to the bystanding 
Honveds, w T hom the dying poet had so often in- 
spired with his songs: 'He has now written his 
last, his finest poem with his heart's blood j the 
concluding strain of it is/ she added, while gazing 
on his closing eyes, ' It is sweet and great to die 
for the fatherland!"' 

While the animation of the party was at its 
height, I stole away to avoid being present at the 
parting scene, which I saw could not long be de- 
layed, as the clock already pointed to midnight. 
On returning home, I found a gendarme in my 
room who handed me a paper, and at the same time 
asked for a reply. Notwithstanding that such 
occurrences were the order of the day, I felt un- / 
pleasantly surprised at the contents of the official 



FEOM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 165 

document, which was nothing less than an order to 
leave the town in twenty-four, and the country in 
forty-eight hours. Having taken a calm view of 
this stern mandate, I came to the conclusion that 
I might congratulate myself at the ire of the Go- 
vernment falling so lightly upon me ; for more than 
one of my countrymen had been arrested merely 
for speaking their native tongue, which in the ears 
of the Austrians has such a revolutionary intona- 
tion. I had likewise long intended to revisit Eng- 
land ; and though my departure was inconveniently 
abrupt, I rejoiced that I was able to join the Hon- 
vagy family on their journey westwards. So I at 
once packed up, and at break of day informed them 
of the sudden turn in my affairs. 

A few hours later the train bore us rapidly away, 
and hills and dales, towns and villages, then the 
very land of the Magyars, vanished from our sight ; 
till we saw the ominous black and yellow of Austria 
changed into the mournful black and white of 
Prussia. "When the fair land of that gallant but 
fettered nation lay far behind us, I looked at my 
exiled fellow travellers, who were silently weeping 
in a corner of the carriage, and thought, " How 
much that is dear to them they had been com- 
pelled to leave : why could they not also have left 
the memory of their misfortune behind ?" 



166 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER ¥111. 

THE HUNGARIAN SEA. 

The lower ranges of mountains and hills, which 
cover about one half of the Magyar land, contain 
innumerable charming spots, affording to the con- 
templative as well as to the business- wearied mind 
ever new enjoyment. Few of these places, excel- 
ling in pastoral beauty, possess more attractions, 
and none is more accessible to the tourist, than the 
Lake of Balaton with its fairy-like environs. 
Along the northern bank of that magnificent lake 
in particular nature has displayed all her soft and 
glorious beauties, which at once fascinate the eye 
and lull the spirit in a sweet waking dream, calling 
forth even from the lips of the ennuye a smile of 
real pleasure ; an exclamation of unfeigned admi- 
ration. This is, besides, the classical ground of 
Hungarian poetry, immortalised with all its histo- 
rical and traditional lore by Kisfaludy Sandor, the 
greatest Hungarian lyrical writer, who there, during 
a sojourn of several years, composed his beautiful 
and popular poems. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 167 

The Balaton or, as people there call it "the 
Hungarian Sea," is the largest piece of standing 
water in that country. It lies on the right bank 
of the Danube, eighty miles south of Buda-Pesth,: 
between the counties of Zala, Vesprem and Somogy ; 
extending from the north-east in a north-westerly 
direction. It is about forty-three miles in length ; 
its breadth varies from nine miles to half a mile, 
and its depth from sixteen to twenty yards. Be- 
sides its own springs, it is supplied by forty-one 
brooks and rivers ; w T hilst it discharges itself only 
into the Sio Biver. The shores are formed by se- 
veral ranges of the Bakony Forest, gently sloping 
towards the water, or terminating abruptly in steep 
isolated hills and promontories. A part of the 
southern shore is level and overgrown with reeds, 
rushes and sedge, which supply the people with 
thatching, mats, firing and other articles of do- 
mestic use. 

The banks of the Balaton are dotted with towns 
and villages, their number amounting to about fifty. 
The inhabitants, all genuine Magyars, carry on a 
brisk trade amongst themselves, by means of their 
large and flat-bottomed sailing and rowing boats. 

In clear weather the water from a distance ap- 
pears of a bluish colour, which, on a nearer ap- 
proach, changes to grey. "When the lake is quite 
calm, many dark patches of a round and serpen- 



168 KUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

tine form may be distinguished from elevated 
points upon its surface, which remain stationary 
throughout the year. The people call them He- 
vese/c, " hot spots ;" they are, in fact, warm springs, 
issuing from the bottom of the lake, which freeze 
over only during the severest part of the winter, at 
which time the lake is so thickly covered with ice, 
that heavy sledges and carts pass from one shore 
to the other without the slightest risk. As re- 
gards the hot spots, all of them being well known 
to the drivers, they are easily avoided ; or, if the 
fissures be small, taken at a leap by the docile 
horses. 

The Balaton possesses the peculiarity of its 
waters becoming suddenly agitated in calm weather, 
without any apparent cause, as if acted upon by 
some subterranean power. This phenomenon, as 
yet not fully understood, usually begins on the 
southern shore. The darkened surface is all at 
once violently disturbed; mighty waves rise and dash 
over each other, and the wild turmoil extends with 
great rapidity, especially in a northern direction, 
breaking on the opposite shore with tremendous 
force. Woe betide the boat which is surprised 
by that "play of the lake!" The boatmen tell 
many a sad story of the accidents which occur at 
such times, not unfrequently attended with loss of 
life; for, notwithstanding long experience, they 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 169 

cannot guard against the approach of this danger, 
as there are no signs to forewarn them. In a couple 
of hours the roaring of the waves ceases, and the 
lake again becomes as calm as the sunny day, which 
is reflected in its quieted expanse. At the time of 
full moon this phenomenon is observed most fre- 
quently. 

The lake abounds in fish of various kinds, of 
which the Fogas, a large fish of prey, of a peculiar 
structure, is the most esteemed for its whiteness 
and delicate * flavour. Many hundred weight of 
them are yearly sent all over the country, and like- 
wise exported to Vienna. 

Occasionally petrifactions, resembling claws and 
hoofs, are washed on shore. Tradition ascribes 
them to vast herds of cattle taken from the inha- 
bitants by the enemy, which were afterwards driven 
by a violent storm into the lake and drowned. On 
careful examination these petrifactions were found 
to be shells of various shapes, left from time imme- 
morial on the neighbouring mountains by the re- 
ceding sea, from whence they are washed by the 
rain into the lake. During their peregrinations, 
and continual contact with pebbles and stones, they 
assume the forms above mentioned, 

The attractions of the Balaton are greatly en- 
hanced by the baths of IT'ured, situated in the 
midst of that delightful country upon the northern 

Q 



170 ETJRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

shore of the lake. Owing to this circumstance 
as well as to its mineral springs, it has become 
the most fashionable watering-place in Hungary. 
Long before the season begins, people from far and 
near nock thither to refresh both mind and body. 
For the accommodation of visitors from the capital, 
who travel without their carriages, several omni- 
buses leave Buda-Pesth every morning, either di- 
rect for the baths, or for the village of Kenesej 
the nearest point to the lake. There the steamer, 
which for the last eight years has regularly plied 
upon it, and is called Kisfaludy in honour of the 
bard of that name, awaits the arrival of the visitors 
and starts towards sunset for Eured, the centre of 
pleasure and fashion. 

As we proceed along the shore, skirted by vil- 
lages, farms and vine-clad hills, their summits still 
tinted by the flush of parting day, and so attractive 
in their tranquil beauty, we catch a few glimpses of 
the country, which, beyond the baths, first displays 
all its graces. The lake side of !Fured gradually 
grows more distinct. The large white-washed 
buildings in front, several stories high, one of them 
the Horvath Hotel, containing 105 rooms, conveys 
a favourable impression of the place, which does 
not diminish, when, on wandering through its 
streets, we discover a neatly- built town clustered 
in one of the most lovely nooks of the lake, con- 



FEOM EASTEEff ETTEOPE. 171 

tainlng a theatre, church, hospital, several handsome 
hotels and private mansions, and an extensive 
English park for public use. 

Before reaching the landing-place, our ear is 
greeted by the sounds of merry music, wafted over 
the waters on the balmy evening breeze. The 
tones come from the hall of the great hotel near 
the shore, where the guests, who prefer the ball- 
room to the theatre, amuse themselves every even- 
ing with music and dance. 

The landing-place is thronged with porters and 
visitors, the latter hailing in sonorous language 
their approaching friends from afar. At such 
times it is no easy matter to find comfortable 
lodgings, the place being overcrowded with guests, 
amongst whom are the first men in Hungary, both 
as regards birth and literary or artistic reputation. 
They may be met with at the table-d'hote, in the 
theatre, the ball-room or on the promenades, where 
intercourse is influenced neither by difference in 
social position, nor by any untimely display of 
etiquette. 

The mineral waters of Fiired are of a chalybeate 
nature, and impregnated with carbonic acid gas 
of about 50° of Fahrenheit in temperature, and 
alike agreeable for drinking as healthy for bathing. 
The water issues from three springs, and the quan- 
tity they yield is so great, that two of them are 



172 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

amply sufficient for all purposes. The one at the 
western end of the promenade serves for drinking 
and supplies the trade; whilst the second, the 
most abundant, is conducted by pipes to the bath- 
houses, and, when heated, used for bathing. Be- 
sides the accommodations for mineral baths, there 
are also buildings along the shore affording the 
means of bathing in the lake. The effect of both 
kinds of baths, for which poor people pay only 
three half-pence, is in peculiar cases very bene- 
ficial ; and the number of yearly visitors amounts to 
several thousands. 

Erom the early history of this place we learn, 
that it was known to the Eomans and that Valeria, 
one of their empresses, recovered from a severe ill- 
ness by the use of its waters ; in remembrance of 
which she raised a temple at her country seat in 
Tihany, to the worship of Diana. During succeed- 
ing centuries the baths were frequented only by 
people from the vicinity, until the middle of the 
eighteenth century, when a Benedictine abbot of 
Tihany had one of the wells inclosed and a house 
built near it. Erom that time the celebrity of Fiired 
commenced. Every year brought thither hundreds of 
invalids, and new buildings were constantly erected. 
Even a fearful storm and more recently a fire, 
which successively destroyed it, only checked its 
prosperity for a while. The place was rebuilt 



FEOM EASTERN ETXEOPE. 173 

with additional splendour, and its daily increase 
shows the estimation in which it is held by the 
public. 

The mineral waters of Plired are not the only 
ones to be met with near the Balaton. The visi- 
tor during his rambles among the mountains, will 
often fall in with similar springs, as salutary and 
palatable as those of Eured, which nevertheless 
flow uncared for, except perhaps by some herdsman 
or woodcutter. 

At the bath parties are made up to visit the lake 
and its environs ; the peninsula of Tihany, as the 
nearest point, being generally selected for the first 
trip. It may be reached either by land or water. 
"We will choose the latter, and for that purpose en- 
gage a rowing and sailing boat, several of which lie 
ready in the port. 

After crossing the bay that incloses Tihany on 
one side, we land in about an hour at the foot of 
the steep, craggy lava cliff, which here in several 
places rises almost perpendicularly four hundred 
feet above the level of the lake, and, projecting for 
a mile into the Balaton, forms the oval peninsula 
of Tihany. Here as well as in other places in the 
neighbouring mountains, the volcanic formation of 
the country is clearly to be traced ; of which also 
the many isolated hills with their varied and fan- 
tastic shapes, bear witness, having apparently been 

Q 2 



174 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

thrown up or torn from the range of mountains by 
some violent volcanic action. 

Our fatiguing ascent up the steep rocky path 
is richly rewarded at every step. The higher we 
advance, the more extended the horizon becomes, 
and we willingly refrain from casting more than a 
hasty glance around before reaching the summit, 
in order not to lessen the impression of the glories 
awaiting us there. At length we gain the top of 
the Stake-hill, the highest point on the peninsula. 
There one of the noblest views which fancy can 
conceive bursts upon the sight. At our feet, far to 
the east and west, lies the majestic Balaton with 
its many bays, curves and promontories, glistening 
like a huge mirror in its gigantic emerald frame of 
hills and mountains, clad in radiant verdure and 
speckled to their summits with countless villas and 
farms — the very types of rural plenty and content 
— their white walls shining forth like so many gems 
from their vine and fruit gardens. The chain of 
mountains is often intersected by deep ravines, 
which widen towards the lake into luxuriant val- 
leys. Here and there the conical peaks, soaring 
above the surrounding country, or peeping through 
the openings of the valleys, bear the ruins of mighty 
castles and abbeys. The varied colouring of the 
landscape from the sombre grey of the rocks to the 
golden hue of the corn-fields, from the delicate 



EBOM EASTEBN EUEOPE. 175 

shades of the birch-trees to the dark and solemn 
green of the firs, add a marvellous effect to 
this enchanting scene, the distant horizon of 
which is bounded by loftier mountain ridges, their 
dark contours rising sharp against the bright 
blue sky. 

On looking towards the peninsula, the interior 
of which is formed like the crater of a volcano, 
we discover the ancient Abbey and Church of 
the Benedictines, who, like their brother monks in 
other countries, displayed exquisite taste in the 
choice of sites for their abodes. This fine building 
stands upon an elevation in front of the peninsula, 
commanding a view from its windows as superb as 
that from the Stake-hill. The Abbey was founded 
in 1055, and endowed with rich estates at different 
epochs in the middle ages by the kings of Hun- 
gary. Since that period, especially during the rule 
of the Turks, it was often used as a fortress and 
must have been valiantly defended, as it success- 
fully withstood the repeated attacks of the enemy. 
The peninsula was then separated from the land, on 
the northern side, by a deep water ditch, traces of 
which are still visible. 

The visitor will do well to call upon the abbot, 
who welcomes friend or stranger with genuine 
Hungarian hospitality. You will at once be shown 
the library with its valuable manuscripts, the col- 



176 ETTRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

lection of minerals and other curiosities, amongst 
which the chapel beneath the principal altar deserves 
the first place from its antiquity, eight centuries 
having passed since it was built. It rests upon 
four massive gothic columns, and contains pictures 
in fresco of the same remote age. Behind the 
north-western side of the church is a remarkable 
echo, which distinctly repeats a strain of music or 
a long sentence. This echo is limited to a space of 
some yards, beyond which it entirely ceases. On 
the peninsula, at the foot of the Abbey-hill, is the 
town of Tihany. The inhabitants gain their living 
by the produce of their vine and fruit-gardens. 
There are also two little lakes, one of them remark- 
able from being the exact shape of the Balaton in 
miniature, as if reflected in a convex glass. On a 
third hill, west of the Abbey, stands a Boman 
watch-tower. It clings to its beautiful birth-place 
with an astonishing tenacity, having struggled for 
nearly two thousand years against time and adverse 
fortune, without losing much of its' solid framework 
in the contest. Several hermits' cells and a small 
oratory, hewn in the rock facing the lake, are shown 
to the stranger by the peasant children, who act 
as cicerones, and offer petrified shells for sale. 
The cells hang about two hundred feet above the 
water and centuries ago were the dwellings of 
nuns. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 177 

At Tihany the Balaton is narrowest, its breadth 
being little more than half a mile. The celebrated 
Baron Nicholas Vesselenyi once swam across it at 
that point. 

Every Sunday the steamer makes a trip from 
Eured to Keszthely, the farthest western extremity 
of the lake, to afford the visitors an opportunity of 
enjoying a panoramic view of either shore from the 
water. The boat starts in the morning, and, as 
may be imagined, the deck is crowded on such oc- 
casions with many a gay and joyous group. 

As we have already stated, the real marvels of 
the Balaton commence from Fured. After having 
doubled the promontory of Tihany, we are sud- 
denly introduced into the sanctuary of the lake. 
The day is serene and sunny, a true holiday, which 
lends a radiant colouring to the scene around. 
The lake before us extends far beyond our sight, 
its slightly ruffled surface looking as though every 
wave were set in burnished silver. The chain of 
lofty hills as well as their isolated projections that 
skirt the banks, are adorned with castle ruins, 
pretty villas, patches of forest and vineyards and 
extensive pasturages, on which herds of cattle 
graze. Prom time to time a valley opens upon 
the lake, sheltering in its richly cultivated bosom 
a farm or hamlet, smiling in plenty and sending 
forth its rivulet as a tribute to the lake. Now and 



1/8 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

then we see a boat starting from the shore, filled 
with visitors or peasants in festive attire, bound on 
a visit to some friends on the opposite shore, who 
greet us with a loud "Eljen!" as they pass. On 
the shore village rises upon village, their white cot- 
tages and pointed church spires peeping invitingly 
from amongst the shady trees and fruit gardens, 
and glassing themselves with seeming self-content 
in the smooth expanse of the lake. Along the 
roads and paths motley groups of peasants in their 
Sunday garb are to be seen, some conversing, 
others walking leisurely towards the neighbouring 
parish church. 

■ As we glide quickly on the scene is constantly 
varied with charming transient views, every fresh 
one increasing our delight and admiration. Thus 
we approach the highest and the noblest point of 
the lake, the stately Badacson mountain, not less 
renowned for its natural attractions, than for the 
golden grapes growing upon its rugged declivities, 
which are considered the choicest in this famous 
vine district. 

As most of the noblemen and wealthy proprie- 
tors of the neighbouring counties possess their vine- 
yards at Eadacson, the vintage there is yearly 
celebrated with great festivities. In the months 
of October and November the villas scattered over 
the mountain resound with music, song and 



FEOM EASTEKN ETTKOPE. 179 

merry-making. The mountain itself projects far 
into the lake, forming two lovely bays, whose spa- 
cious amphitheatres unfold magnificent panoramas, 
as they recede in a semicircular shape. In the 
eastern bay groups of lofty trees, meadows, vine- 
hills and rocky steeps alternate with each other ; 
behind which rise several conical summits, the 
one forming the centre being crowned with the 
ruins of an ancient abbey. The western bay is 
still more grand, its background being adorned 
by two isolated rocky peaks, one bearing the re- 
mains of the castle of Szigliget, and the other those 
of Szent-Gyorgy ; whilst high above all towers the 
Badacson mountain, its base surrounded by several 
villages, and its lofty summit encircled by a belt 
of forest and a superb basaltic colonnade. 

On leaving the landing-place of Badacson, the 
Sabbath-bells commence pealing for morning ser- 
vice. The country around soon takes up the har- 
monious sounds, every spire contributing its part 
towards the solemn call to prayer. The bells con- 
tinue ringing and calling during the remainder of 
our journey, which terminates at Keszthely, where 
we arrive about noon. It is worthy of remark, 
that in this town the first public institution in 
Hungary for agricultural information was estab- 
lished in 1801, by the patriotic Count G-eorge Ees- 
tetich. The institution has a museum, with col- 



180 EUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

lections of minerals, models, &c, a large botanical 
garden and a well-ordered model farm of seven 
hundred acres. Lectures are delivered by four 
professors and several teachers. The course 
lasts two years, and the institution sends forth 
yearly some fifty young men to propagate the 
blessings of agricultural knowledge throughout the 
country. Near Keszthely there is a bridge across 
the lake 1200 yards in length. 

From this town pedestrian excursions are under- 
taken to the romantic castle ruins in the vicinity 
of the Balaton, of which there are more than 
thirty. We confine ourselves to a glance at one or 
two of the most celebrated. 

Two of Kisfaludy's admirable ballads have in- 
vested the castles of Eezi and Tatika with unfading 
interest, at least for every Hungarian. They stand 
near to each other on two summits of the Bakony 
mountains, north from Keszthely, and a two hours* 
drive from this place. Both command a splendid 
view of the Bakony Forest, with its venerable oaks 
and beech trees, the summits of which rise two 
thousand feet above the level of the sea. These, 
as well as other castles in that mountainous dis- 
trict, date from the middle of the thirteenth cen- 
tury, when, in the time of King Bela IV., on the 
inroad of the Moguls, the nobles from the steppes 
fled for safety to the inaccessible recesses of the 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 181 

Bakony, and there built their strongholds. Rezi 
and Tatika were partly destroyed during the in- 
surrection of Rakoczi, about the year 1705, and 
are now picturesque ruins, in the possession of 
Count Festetich. 

The largest as well as the best preserved of the 
castles is that of Sumegh, situated a few miles 
farther north. Its towers and battlements look 
almost as proud and stately, from their rocky 
height, as they did when built by King Bela IV. 
The town, at the foot of the Castle-rock, is cele- 
brated from having been for several years the resi- 
dence of Kisfaludy Sandor, who there wrote the 
greater part of his poems. 

Returning towards Badacson in an easterly di- 
rection, we distinguish at a distance some grey 
ruins upon a high, almost inaccessible rock, their 
barren and decaying aspect affording a striking 
contrast to the verdant, undulating land, and the 
busy life around. These are the ruins of the castle 
of Csobancz, likewise immortalised in song by Kis- 
faludy. Its last possessor, the patriotic Gryulafi, 
fought by the side of B-akoczi for the independence 
of their fatherland, and afterwards shared his 
leader's fate in exile. 

With reference to the part which the Balaton 
and its environs have played in the history of the 
country in modern times, we will quote, as an ex- 

B 



182 BTTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

ample, one of the episodes from the war of inde- 
pendence during the year 1848. This episode 
occurred upon its waters, when the Archduke 
Stephen, late Palatine of Hungary, after the inva- 
sion of the Croats, appointed Jelachich to meet him 
upon the lake, in the steamer, in order to come to 
an amicable arrangement. The Archduke, accom- 
panied by several ministers, embarked on the 25th 
of September, and approached the southern shore 
near Siofok, where Jelachich was standing, sur- 
rounded by a brilliant suite. In vain the Hunga- 
rians sent a boat for the Croat chief ; instead of 
hastening to grasp the hand offered in peace and 
friendship, he asked the advice of his officers, who, 
of course, dissuaded him from so hazardous an un- 
dertaking as that of coming in contact with a few 
Hungarian nobles, amongst whom was the nephew 
of his own Emperor. After having waited an 
hour, the Archduke returned to the Hungarian 
army, and the Ban continued his hostile proceed- 
ings. 

"We should consider our task but half fulfilled, 
were we to abstain from adding, at least, one of 
the traditions attached to the castle ruins, which, 
passing from lip to lip, are faithfully preserved by 
the people, like so many time-honoured relics. We 
will select from our abundant store that which is 
the most likely to have an historical foundation, 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 183 

from having been traced amongst ancient family- 
papers in the archives of the Benedictine Abbey of 
Tihany. The tradition relates to the origin of the 
Castle of Nagy-Vasony, which rises above the town 
of the same name, a two-hours' drive from the 
northern shore of the lake. 

Towards the middle of the fifteenth century, 
at the time when the great Matthias Corvinus 
adorned the Hungarian throne, and the spirit of 
true chivalry had not yet become entirely extinct, 
the widow of a noble dwelt in Szent-Mihaly, near 
the mountain where the remains of the once 
strong fortress of Nagy-Yasony now stand. This 
widow had a daughter named Margit, on whom 
nature had not only lavished an uncommon share 
of beauty, but also a marvellous talent for music, 
which having been cultivated by a relation, a 
Benedictine monk from the Abbey of Tihany, her 
voice acquired such sweetness and flexibility, that, 
as the chronicler states, even the birds were at- 
tracted by it. 

From the little intercourse Margit had with the 
world, it seemed likely that she would fade away 
in the solitude of the forest, unseen and unknown ; 
but the very contrary happened. Tor as the 
breeze wafts the fragrance of the flowers far from 
the spot where they bloom ; so the fame of the 
" Nightingale of Szent-Mihaly " spread for miles 



184 EUEAL AND HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

beyond the limited sphere of her simple and 
eventless life. 

No sooner had the knowledge of the girl's charms 
got abroad, than numerous visitors, most of them 
wealthy cavaliers, hastened even from distant 
counties to oifer her not merely the tribute of 
their admiration, but also themselves and their 
fortune. Although most welcome to the ambitious 
mother, this lordly train of admirers met with little 
encouragement on the part of the daughter, whose 
heart was as yet untouched by any of the com- 
monplace tales of love she was compelled to listen 
to from them. The mother's urgent entreaties 
that ahe should at once make a choice, greatly per- 
plexed the poor girl. In this emergency, the ap- 
pearance of the learned Benedictine monk was 
hailed by her with undisguised pleasure, and the 
secret of her difficult position forthwith confiden- 
tially imparted to him, whereupon the monk gave 
her the following advice : " Tell your suitors," my 
daughter, "that, as a selection amongst so many 
noble cavaliers is no easy task for an inexperienced 
girl, you wish to put the strength of their attach- 
ment to a trial, which will decide who is the most 
devoted. For that purpose, you desire that a 
castle shall be built on the mountain of Nagy- 
Yasony, within the term of a year and a day ; and 
the cavalier who at the expiration of that period 



EEOM EASTEEN ETTEOPE. 185 

lays the last stone on the building shall be the law- 
ful claimant to your hand." Though not entirely 
satisfied with the monk's counsel, lest she might in 
the end have to marry one whom she perhaps liked 
least of all, still, in default of a better, Margit gave 
her consent and informed the cavaliers of her re- 
solve. Notwithstanding its severity the condition 
was accepted by many of them, and they deter- 
mined to commence building without loss of time. 
The necessary workmen were procured, and the 
walls rose rapidly under the superintendence of 
the devoted lovers. But, before six months elapsed, 
their numbers had considerably decreased ; and 
towards the end of the appointed time only three 
remained faithful to their decision. During this 
period of agitating suspense, Margit gradually lost 
her cheerful spirits. 

One evening, as she sat leaning on her silent harp 
in melancholy reveries, her ears caught the plain- 
tive tones of a shalm, which, from harmonising so 
well with her sad feelings, seemed to her like the 
consoling voice of a friend. 

' - Who can the player be ? " she asked herself, 
as the sound ceased. In vain she looked from the 
window, whence she could only see the stars 
twinkling cheeringly upon her, and the trees that, 
with their shadows, hid every distant object from 
her sight. She longed to hear the shalm again, 

e2 



186 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

and the next evening her secret wish was realised. 
As she listened in rapt delight, her fingers uncon- 
sciously glided over the chords of her harp, and she 
played and sang, inspired by a feeling hitherto un- 
known to her. Between every pause the shalm 
echoed the last strain of her song, till, on a sudden, 
a tall, manly form stood before her window. 
Though at first frightened by so unexpected an 
apparition, the girl soon felt reassured on being 
addressed by the friendly voice of the stranger, who 
announced himself as the echo of her song ; the 
bard of his undying love for the " Nightingale of 
Szent-Mihaly." This avowal he made in such 
persuasive language, that, yielding to his passionate 
entreaties and the inspiration of her own heart, 
she granted him permission to repeat his serenade. 
In a word, the shalm-player's simple melodies had 
touched the tenderest chord in the girl's breast, 
and accomplished that which all the splendour of 
her other suitors had failed to effect. The knight, 
for such the shalm-player was, having thus secured 
the maiden's affections, had now to outwit the 
cavaliers in laying the last stone, without which 
his first success would be of little avail. 

The next day, the number of the workmen at 
the castle was increased by a man of lofty stature 
and muscular frame, who got through the heaviest 
work with astonishing ease and dexterity. The 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 187 

men, glad of such an able comrade, asked neither 
who he was nor whence he came. 

Meanwhile the building rapidly approached its 
termination ; and, when the appointed time arrived, 
a goodly castle soared against the sky from its 
rocky summit, complete in all its parts, save a gap 
left to be filled up at the decisive moment. 

As the herald mounted the scaffold to announce 
the close of the work, the excitement of the three 
knights reached its height. While each endea- 
voured to outwit the other, either by persuading 
him to lay his stone before the time, or else alto- 
gether to prevent him from doing so, they, in 
breathless anxiety, surrounded the spot where 
their fate would so soon be decided. But vain 
were the efforts of each to throw the others 
off their guard. Each watched his neighbour so 
jealously, that, ere the last words had left the he- 
rald's lips, they simultaneously thrust their stones 
on the wall. Now it so happened that a vacancy 
still remained, which, a moment later, during the 
uproar of the final scene, was filled up unobserved 
by the mysterious workman. 

The time of ordeal was over, and the cavaliers 
descended the scaffold with heavy hearts and 
empty purses, since all the three were secretly 
convinced, that neither could exclusively lay claim 
to the ardently coveted prize. 



188 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL QLEANINGS 

In spite of the hopelessness of their cause, the 
cavaliers presented themselves before Margit, each 
claiming her hand as the reward of his fidelity and 
toil. But the girl already knew who was the 
victor; and now, with overflowing gratitude, ac- 
knowledged, that by following the monk's advice in 
throwing the apple of discord amongst them, she 
had most effectually escaped their dreaded suit. 

At length, the discomfited cavaliers decided on 
submitting their case to King Matthias, by whose 
impartial decision they promised to abide. They 
accordingly repaired to Buda, where Matthias was 
then holding his court. They were still eagerly 
pleading their respective claims, when a warrior of 
noble appearance, clad in the armour of the " Black 
Legion," stepped before the king 

"Welcome, my brave Kinizsi Pal,"* said the 



* Kinizsi Pal, a renowned Hungarian hero, was one of the 
ablest military leaders of Matthias Corvinus, who, with his 
wonted sagacity, selected him from amongst the people. On 
one occasion, when travelling in the country, the king came to 
a mill, where he saw a youth carrying two millstones, one in 
each hand. Surprised by this display of herculean strength, 
Matthias asked him a few questions, to which he replied with 
so much spirit, that the king immediately proposed that he 
should enter his Black Legion. " I will," replied the stalwart 
lad, "but on condition that I may be allowed to fight with 
two swords." This youth was Kinizsi. The king was not 
deceived in him ; Kinizsi distinguished himself by indomitable 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 189 

sovereign to the commander of his favourite troop, 
" what news bring you from the camp ? " 

But Kinizsi, the terror of the Turks, had now, 
perhaps for the first time in his life, no warlike tale 
to tell. In its stead, he related that during a visit 
at a friend's in the Bakony forest, having heard of 
the "Nightingale of Szent-Mihaly," he repaired to 
that place, when the girl's loveliness made such a 
mighty impression upon his, till then, invincible 
heart, that he resolved to break a lance for her. 
Circumstances favoured him, as we have seen, not 
alone in gaining Margit's affections, but also in 
laying the last stone on the castle. 

Matthias was not a little pleased at finding the 
stern warrior was still accessible to tender im- 
pressions ; and, after convincing himself of the 
justness of his cause, he adjudged to him the 
maiden and the castle, presenting the bride at the 
same time with all the lands she could overlook from 
the watch-tower of Nagy-Vasony, a very hand- 
some dowry, as the castle commands a country of 
many miles in extent. 

The workmen who had been engaged in erecting 
the building settled themselves beneath its walls, 
where a few huts already existed. The town, 

prowess and great military genius, and at last became the 
friend and favouiite General of the greatest and wisest of the 
Hungarian sovereigns. 



190 BUBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

which, at a subsequent period, sprang up there, is 
famous to this day for its skilful masons. 

In remembrance of this occurrence, Kinizsi 
added to his arms a knight with one hand resting 
upon a tower, the other holding a square stone. 
His motto : Posuit ultimum lapidem* also alludes 
to this event. 

* He placed the last stone. 



EBOM EASTERN EIIEOPE. 191 



CHAPTEE IX. 

THE TATRA MOUNTAINS. 

The county of Zips may fairly be called the Swit- 
zerland of Hungary. There the range of the 
Carpathian mountains, which form the northern 
boundary between that realm and Poland, reaches 
its highest point in the vast group of lofty sum- 
mits, called the Tatra mountains, the lowest of 
which rises nearly 7000 feet above the level of 
the sea. 

These granite giants, though unadorned by na- 
ture's varied tapestry, still, with their snow-clad 
peaks, rugged perpendicular cliffs, unfathomable 
precipices and roaring cataracts, vie with the most 
majestic Alpine scenery, unfolding to the beholder 
a picture of wild beauty and stern grandeur that 
at the same time aw T es and delights. 

The loftiest and noblest of this group is the 
" Lomnitz Head," rising, like a stupendous granite 
wall, 8000 feet immediately from the table-land, 



192 BUBAL AND HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

and rearing its fine conical crest high above the 
surrounding mountain world. 

The Tatra with its many branches, which inter- 
sect the country for some hundred miles, is the very 
region for keen and daring sportsmen, who delight 
in the excitement and danger of Alpine hunting, 
and do not object to a hug from Brother Bruin, or 
to hazard their lives in pursuing the fleet and wary 
chamois over dizzy cliffs and abysses. 

During the summer months, these mountains, 
particularly the Lomnitz Head, are frequently 
visited by the lover of wild rocky scenery as well 
as by the naturalist, both from Hungary ,and other 
countries. Amongst the most distinguished of the 
foreign visitors, we may mention the late "King of 
Saxony, who, in the year 1847, ascended the Lom- 
nitz Head. In remembrance of that occurrence, a 
monument of cast iron in the form of a cross, was 
erected upon the shore of the " Green Lake," a 
sheet of standing water, which is embedded amidst 
huge granite walls, on the bosom of the " Head,'* 
at an elevation of 6500 feet, and is supplied by 
a torrent, that falls from a great height into the 
lake, presenting altogether the wildest and most 
lonely aspect that fancy can picture. 

The inhabitants of this mountainous district — 
famed as excellent marksmen — are chiefly Germans, 
interspersed with Slovacks. The former emigrated 



TEOM EASTEKN" EUROPE. 193 

to Hungary in the twelfth century, colonised the 
county of Zips, and transformed its barren soil 
with their characteristic industry and persever- 
ance, as far as the difficulties permitted, into fertile 
and arable land. 

The Zipsers are an enduring and vigorous race of 
people, honest and simple in their habits, and re- 
markable alike for their general mental culture and 
ardent attachment to liberty and the Protestant 
faith. Of this they gave countless proofs amidst 
the vicissitudes their country was subjected to 
under the Austrian rule. Their devotion, however, 
reached its height during the memorable period of 
1848, when they placed their savings at the dis- 
posal of the national Government, and sent thou- 
sands of their bravest sons to the plains on the 
banks of the Theiss against the Austrian and 
[Russian invaders. Hungarians in heart and from 
conviction, the Zipsers were so deeply affected by 
the tragic conclusion of the war, that, when the 
remnant of their gallant bands returned to their 
mountain fastnesses and related the terrible 
tidings of their country's downfall, their despair 
knew no bounds. Many of them put on mourning, 
never again to lay it aside until they had thrown off 
the yoke of their oppressors ; and one of those 
simple mountaineers, who deemed Hungary's con- 
quest to be impossible, and thus felt the unex- 



194 EUBAL AND HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

pected blow more keenly than the rest, died of a 
broken heart. 

From Kasmark, a neat thriving border-town, in 
the vicinity of the Lomnitz Head, a road, or rather 
a pass crosses over the Carpathians to Poland, 
which, on entering the mountain, leads through a 
desolate tract of country, encompassed by mighty 
granite rocks, with only here and there a patch of 
pine-forest, and the solitary hut of a woodcutter, 
the stroke of whose axe occasionally breaks the 
eternal silence around. ■ 

It is well worth while to take a peep at this pass, 
to complete the panorama of the Tatra's savage 
wonders, and more so for the sake of visiting a spot 
there, to which, like two distinct echoes, two tra- 
ditions are attached, each of a different colouring, 
each of a different age, and both possessing their 
own peculiar interest. 

On proceeding for a short distance along the 
pass, in the company of a learned G-eologist from 
the neighbourhood, who kindly offered to be our 
cicerone, we come to a pretty Gothic Chapel, 
erected on a rocky eminence to the right, and 
sheltered by pine-trees, whose large and lofty 
trunks tell of centuries gone by. The sight of 
such an edifice, in the midst of a lonely wilderness, 
has something peculiarly cheering in it, and we 
gladly follow the invitation of our guide to mount 



FKOM EASTEBN EUROPE. 195 

the projection, and for a moment pause in our in* 
spection of the Great Architect's sublime struc- 
tures, to glance at the frail fabric raised by human 
hands. 

Our first pleasant impression is somewhat marred 
when, on a nearer view, we find the Chapel is fast 
falling into decay, the consequence rather of ne- 
glect than of the ravages of time. Not only is the 
stone framework of the arched doors and windows 
partly broken away, and its fragments scattered on 
the granite pavement ; but in the interior the fresco 
paintings on the walls — apparently representations 
of battles — are nearly defaced by damp and the 
many names written and cut upon them. "While we 
attempt to trace the subjects of the paintings, the 
Geologist relates to us the origin of the building. 

" During the gloomiest period of Hungarian his- 
tory, under the rule of Leopold I., in the second 
moiety of the seventeenth century, when an open 
avowal of Protestantism was taxed as a capital 
crime, and afforded also a ready pretext for politi- 
cal persecution, a wealthy and powerful Protestant 
magnate, Count Tokoli, lived in the county of Zips. 
Having for a long time past been a thorn in the 
side of the Austrians on the score of his liberal 
principles, it required only some plausible excuse 
to bring down upon him the full weight of their 
wrath. This Tokoli at last afforded them, by pro- 



196 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

tecting a Protestant community in his neighbour- 
hood against the persecutions of the Jesuits. 
They immediately seized this favourable oppor- 
tunity, and dispatched a detachment to arrest him 
and his family in ln3 castle near Kasmark. Thus 
taken by surprise, Tokoli had but time to forward 
the escape of his only son Emeric, a boy of ten 
years, the hope of all good patriots. "Whilst he 
parleyed with the enemy before the gate, the boy 
left the castle by means of a subterranean passage, 
accompanied by a trusty servant, whom his sire 
had ordered to cross over with him to Poland with- 
out delay. Finding after the storming of the 
fortress and a rigorous search, that the young bird 
had flown, the Austrian commander sent out troops 
in every direction to secure the fugitive. One of 
them, having by some means or other discovered 
that Emeric had taken this mountain pass, di- 
rected the pursuit so well, that they came in sight 
of him here, as he, with the help of his servant, was 
toiling up that steep and craggy cliff in front of 
us, in order to reach a dark and precipitous gulf 
before they were overtaken. The Austrians hailed 
them to surrender; but as they saw their order 
was not likely to be obeyed, they discharged their 
blunderbusses upon them ; yet without effect. It is 
most probable that the report of the guns caused the 
loosening of an avalanche from the Eejerto Head, 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 197 

just above, for presently an immense mass of snow 
and rock thundered down the steep slopes, and 
completely blocked up the space between the pur- 
sued and their pursuers. It took the soldiers se- 
veral hours to clear a way through that unexpected 
barricade, during which the fugitives had safely 
gained Polish soil, and were thus beyond reach of 
the Austrians. 

" After many years of exile, when events turned 
the scale in favour of Hungary, Emeric, now a 
man remarkable for many great qualities as a war- 
rior and a statesman, returned to his country, 
where he so eminently distinguished himself by 
lending the powerful aid both of his sword and pen 
to the cause of religious and political liberty, that the 
nation, to prove their gratitude, chose him for their 
Prince. "Whilst following up his brilliant career, 
Tokoli did not forget the scene of his hair-breadth 
escape. He visited this spot, where the avalanche, 
as if at the summons of a higher power, had inter- 
posed between him and his enemies, and selected 
it as the site for a Chapel to be erected for the 
twofold purpose of commemorating that event and 
as a place of worship for the Protestant moun- 
taineers of this vicinity : endowing it at the same 
time with an estate, the proceeds of which were to 
be devoted to the support of a clergyman for cele- 
brating divine service there every fortnight. The 



198 BTTRAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

Chapel was built in 1678, and, notwithstanding the 
estate was unlawfully appropriated by the Austrian 
Government, the will of the illustrious founder was 
faithfully executed until within the last twenty 
years. Since that time the Chapel has been aban- 
doned." 

" And to what cause is this to be attributed ? " 
we naturally ask. 

" There are occurrences," replied the Geologist, 
" which often effect the uprooting of the laws and 
customs of centuries in the space of as many 
moments by turning the tide of popular prejudice 
against objects, no matter whether animate or in- 
animate, whether guilty or innocent. Such is the 
case with this Chapel, which has been regarded 
with superstitious dread from the time a fearful 
catastrophe took place within its walls ; though it 
was as little responsible for it as the pine-tree we 
met on our way hither, which, chancing to stand 
upon the spot where a thunderbolt fell, was struck 
to the ground, and has ever since gone by the 
name of 'The Cursed Tree.' The circumstances 
resulting in that catastrophe as well as in the 
decay of the Chapel, sprang from an obscure event 
in the vicinity. The particulars will, however, take 
some time to relate, during which it will be as well 
to rest after our weary walk." 

"We accordingly seat ourselves upon the frag- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 199 

ments of the framework, and the Geologist pro- 
ceeds : 

" Some twenty-five years since, the saw-mill in 
the valley below, which you remarked for the soli- 
dity of its construction, was in the possession of 
one Brettschneider, by the people commonly called 
' The Stranger,' on account of his father's having 
immigrated from Silesia to this valley. At that 
time I was a young fellow, pursuing my studies at 
Kasmark, and during the holidays, which were 
always spent at my father's, the late clergyman of 
Hochkirch, I was in the habit of visiting Brett- 
schneider' s mill, whenever a hunting party — which 
usually started from thence — was made up; whereby 
I became tolerably well acquainted with every 
member of his family. 

" Brettschneider, at that period a widower, was a 
plain and close man of business of some fifty years, 
who fully understood his calling ; that is to say, he 
could tell at a glance which tree was sound or hol- 
low, and could calculate with accuracy how many 
planks a trunk would produce, what they would 
fetch, and in what time they would be ready for 
floating. He was, besides, an adept rifleman, and 
could vie with the best marksman in the valley in 
bringing down a chamois; but beyond that he 
neither understood nor cared for anything. 

"His family consisted of two sons of totally 



200 RURAL A.TH) HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

opposite characters. The elder, Steffel, a fine, 
sturdy fellow of twenty-four, was his father's right 
hand, but much disliked in the mill for his over- 
bearing temper and niggardly habits, and feared to 
a degree by his younger brother, Peter, who, 
owing to his weakly constitution, and still more to 
his absent and dreamy way of moving about, was 
pronounced good for nothing. 

" No wonder that the father, who valued his 
children very much in the same way as he valued 
the trunks of trees, namely, for the profit they 
yielded, evinced a decided partiality for Steffel; 
looking, on the contrary, upon Peter not alone as 
an expensive and useless appendage to his house- 
hold but also as the origin of a severe affliction, 
his wife having died in giving birth to the lad. 
Each time old Brettschneider saw Peter, he could 
not help thinking what a poor compensation such 
a boy was for the loss of an excellent and thrifty 
helpmate, and treated him accordingly. 

" The father's unnatural conduct towards his 
younger son began at his birth, and ceased only 
shortly before old Brettschneider himself was laid 
within four of his own best planks, and for ever 
removed from the stage of his joys, his labours 
and his failings. No mother's face was ever bent 
over Peter to teach him, amidst sweet caresses, the 
first dearest names of Nature's vocabulary. He 



FBOM EASTEBtf ETTBOPE. 201 

had no one to run to, to tell his little exploits ; no 
bosom on which to lay his pale face, and sob out 
his childish grief. He grew up in a chilly atmo- 
sphere of an unchanging greyish hue, surrounded 
by people with harsh looks and harsher words. 
Like a plant reared in a cellar, he bore signs of 
want of light and warmth in the sickly unfolding 
both of his mind and body. At the age of four- 
teen, though tall, he was still almost a child, shy 
and subdued in his manners, looking upon all 
around him with dread, and feeling himself an utter 
stranger under the paternal roof. His timidity and 
weakness rather aggravated his unhappy position, 
and as time wore on he became the scapegoat of 
the whole household. All the mischief that oc- 
curred was laid to his charge ; and in idle hours 
people cracked their jokes at the expense of the 
patient youth. The expression of absence and 
dreaminess which his countenance gradually as- 
sumed, although the result of a passive submission 
to his hard fate, was interpreted by his family as 
a mark of innate stupidity; and in the end they 
decided that he was an idiot. Such was, however, 
not the case. In spite of so many years of neglect 
and subjugation, his mind still retained a spark of 
that vital fire, called poetic genius, that finally led 
him to a more genial and healthy atmosphere for 
its development. 



202 BURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

" It was on a fine summer's day that Peter, for 
the first time in his life, ventured beyond the limits 
of his prison-like home. He sauntered away over 
the mill-brook and meadows, and wandered on and 
on, till at length he found himself surrounded by 
mighty rocks and lofty trees. Instead of being 
bewildered by the novelty and grandeur of the 
scene, he experienced an agreeable sensation of 
relief and, like the bird escaped for the first time 
from its cage, his spirits instinctively attempted a 
short flight. Delighted with the experiment, he 
repeated it again and again, devoting whole days 
to rambling in the forests and mountains. There, 
amidst Nature's beauties and wonders, his heart, 
hitherto yearning in vain for some warm affection, 
expanded to an invisible soothing and cheering in- 
fluence, and from that period a new life commenced 
for the lonely boy, a life of glowing visions. He 
contracted a sort of companionship with the rocks 
and trees, with the brooks and flowers; peopling 
them with the mountain fairies and spirits of 
whose benevolent acts he had heard such marvel- 
lous accounts. To them he would relate his joys and 
woes in long and touching strains, and with rapture 
hearken to their replies in the warble of the bird, 
in the hum of the bee, in the purling of the rivulet ; 
in all the thousand melodious sounds that undulate 
upon the summer breeze. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 203 

" These particulars I gleaned from Peter himself, 
having formed, during my holidays in 1830, an 
intimate acquaintance with him; when I found 
that, in lieu of being an idiot, he possessed besides 
many good qualities, a latent talent for poetry, 
which burst into life in the strange manner I have 
related. 

"I first noticed Peter at the saw-mill, on the 
occasion of a chamois hunt. He was then eighteen. 
He stood in the court-yard, apart from the com- 
pany, clad in a dark blue jacket, close-fitting trou- 
sers of the same colour, and a broad-brimmed hat, 
the costume of the Zips. He was pointed out to 
me, with a significant nod, as 'the idiot.' On 
looking at him I met his glance, which lighted up 
with so much intelligence and good-nature as he 
remarked my friendly smile, that I immediately felt 
an interest for him. He accompanied the party as 
far as the nearest pine forest; then he suddenly 
turned into a side-path, and disappeared among 
the trees. I did not lose sight of him, and follow- 
ing in the same direction overtook him, sitting on 
the bank of a rivulet. Leaving the sportsmen to 
pursue the adventures of the chase, I placed myself 
by the side of my new acquaintance. After a few 
encouraging words on my part, his shyness par- 
tially wore off* and he became more and more com- 
municative. He was evidently at home in the 



204 ETJKAL AND HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

forest, and with childish familiarity told me of his 
daily rambles and pastimes. While speaking his 
absent expression entirely vanished, and his usually 
pale face was flushed with animation. This and 
subsequent meetings convinced me that his mind 
contained valuable materials, which, if properly 
brought to light, would render him a useful mem- 
ber of society. I need scarcely state, that this dis- 
covery increased my interest for the youth, and I 
did not rest until my father had promised to lend 
his aid in unfolding his intellectual faculties. So, 
one afternoon, I induced Peter to come over to 
Hochkirch, and after he had become accustomed 
to my father, which was not the case till he had 
paid us several visits, his studies commenced. My 
father loved and treated him like a son, and his 
own willingness to learn caused him to make such 
rapid progress, that ere I returned to college I 
anticipated the happiest results. When I took 
leave the poor boy clung to me and entreated that 
I would allow him to accompany me. How much 
I have ever since regretted that it was not in my 
power to comply with his earnest request ! While 
the youth, under the guidance of my father, was 
daily advancing in the path of knowledge, an event 
occurred that produced a sudden and entire revo- 
lution in his hitherto quiet and lonely existence. 
"Late on a stormy autumn evening the pro- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 205 

prietor of a neighbouring mill, also a widower, 
called upon old Brettschneider in a state of great 
alarm, to say that his daughter, Mariandel, who 
had left home that morning to visit a relative in 
the mountains near the Veresto Head, with the 
promise of returning in a few hours, had not yet 
arrived ; and he feared the snowstorm, which had 
burst forth during the afternoon from the Lomnitz 
Head, must have overtaken her on her way home. 
He, therefore, besought Brettschneider to allow 
some of his men to assist him in searching after 
his child. The saw-miller, willing to aid his neigh- 
bour, particularly in so grave an affair, quickly 
summoned his people to join the afflicted father. 
But the men, having for a while watched the 
storm, which swept furiously down the mountain 
slopes, driving the snow horizontally before it, de- 
clared one and all, that no human being who 
valued his life would venture out on such a fearful 
night among the mountain gullies. And some of 
the party having suggested that the girl in all pro- 
bability would remain with her aunt till the storm 
was over, the rest easily acquitted their conscience 
as to their duty to their neighbour, and the dis- 
consolate father walked away as he came, alone. 
There was, however, one amongst the number who 
had felt deeply touched as he watched, silently and 
unheeded, the anguish of the father, and in his 



206 RURAL AtfD HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

simple way of reasoning came to the conclusion 
that, though the girl might at that moment be safe 
under a sheltering roof; still this being but a 
vague conjecture, it was at any rate worth braving 
the danger of such a night, on the chance of saving 
a human life. He, who held this mute consulta- 
tion with himself was no other than Peter 'the 
idiot.' No sooner had this idea struck him, than 
he resolved at once to carry out his noble inten- 
tion. He hastily left the room, threw on his fur 
cloak and seizing his long staff tipped with iron, 
the sickly youth, strong only in his brave purpose, 
set out against a blinding storm, and in a few mi- 
nutes was completely enveloped in the drifting 
snow. 

"It was truly a perilous enterprise and one 
that, considered in all its details, few men would 
have had the courage to wage. But Peter, being 
acquainted with every inch of the country, from 
having traversed it in all weathers and on innu- 
merable occasions, was fully convinced that he 
could find his way to the Veresto* Head even blind- 
folded, and he courageously, though with extreme 
difficulty, pushed on his way towards the mountain, 
by turns shouting and looking out on every side 
as far as his sight could reach. After a most fa- 
tiguing walk of two hours he safely reached the 
gorge leading up the mountain, which was in some 



FEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 207 

measure protected against the fury of the storm. 
There, to his unutterable delight, at his repeated 
shouts, a human form crept forth from a fissure in 
the cliff, which proved to be that of the missing 
girl. Peter would gladly have at once returned 
home with her to relieve her anxious father, but 
he saw from the exhausted state she was in from 
both cold and terror, that it would not be practi- 
cable ; he therefore proposed to her to rest for the 
night in a cave close by. Mariandel thankfully 
consented, and Peter assisted her thither. In the 
cave they found a supply of dry wood, which he 
had previously collected for his own use, as he 
occasionally spent a night there during his excur- 
sions. With the help of flint and steel — to this 
day the inseparable companion of every moun- 
taineer — he kindled a fire, which soon crackled and 
blazed cheerily, and near which the exhausted girl, 
wrapped up in his warm fur cloak, presently fell 
asleep. 

" Hitherto, fully occupied with his little arrange- 
ments for her comfort, Peter had had no time to 
think of aught beside ; but now, as he sate oppo- 
site to the sleeping girl, in the midst of warmth 
and peace, whilst without he heard the storm rag- 
ing and howling through the clefts and ravines, he 
began musingly to think over the dream-like events 
of that memorable night. They contained many 



208 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

things that afforded his artless mind cause for in- 
cessant wonderment. To begin with, he wondered 
at the new and indefinable feeling which for the 
first time filled his heart with such lively pleasure. 
He wondered that he, the helpless and despised 
boy, should suddenly have risen to the important 
post of a deliverer and protector. How this had 
come about he did not quite comprehend ; but his 
pleasure was not lessened for all that. Then, 
stranger still, that the being who had fallen to his 
care was the very Marian del who, on one occasion, 
when the other children of the vicinity would not 
allow him to join them in their play, and he stole 
away weeping, ran up to him and throwing her 
little arms round his neck, tried to console him 
with the offer of a piece of her cake. The recol- 
lection of this had always touched him and now 
more than ever ; and he could not help rejoicing 
that it was just that same Mariandel whom he had 
so happily rescued. His wonderings kept still in- 
creasing, when his eyes fell upon the lovely face of 
the girl, that in spite of its paleness and the close- 
fitting fur cap, was a genuine specimen of a fair 
Zipser telle. How she had grown in height and 
beauty since that childish scene in the mill-meadow ! 
thought the youth. And his meditations, now 
entirely led by his heart, rapidly pursued their 
course. How terrified she must have been whilst 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 209 

alone exposed to this tempest ! What would have 
become of her had she not found a shelter this 
bitter cold night ? He shuddered as he imagined 
her possible fate. Her sweet voice still sounded 
in his ears as she stammered a few words of thanks 
when he so unexpectedly came to her rescue. How 
gladly he would extend his night-watch near her 
to the length of a whole life! By her side he no 
longer felt himself lonely and forsaken. The more 
he gazed on those features, which ever and anon 
seemed to change and to assume new charms as 
the fire threw its flickering light upon them, the 
greater the spell became that they were fast exer- 
cising over him. His vivid fancy busied itself in 
adorning the maiden, until he imagined her fairer 
than the fairest mountain flower. 

" Meanwhile the fire had gradually burnt down 
to ashes, and the cave was wrapt in darkness. 
But this change was unremarked by Peter. In 
proportion as the light from without died away, an 
inward light— the light of love — kindled in his 
soul, its rays illuminating, in his mind's eye, that 
face upon which were written the hieroglyphics of 
his coming doom. The first effect of this new feel- 
ing was characteristic of the unselfish youth, who 
sighed, ' How gladly would 1 die for this girl ! ' 

"Towards morning the storm abated, and was 
followed by a clear and frosty day. At early dawn 

t2 



210 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

Peter sallied forth to reconnoitre, when he heard 
the sound of voices approaching from the valley, 
and not long after he could distinguish Mariandel's 
father, accompanied by several men, ascending the 
defile through the deep snow. Their astonishment, 
particularly the miller's, at finding Peter already 
there, changed into boundless delight, as he related 
the adventures of the preceding night. Still the 
men looked doubtfully at each other ; since it over- 
stepped their comprehension that a stripling, and 
an idiot into the bargain, should have braved 
dangers before which stout men like themselves 
had recoiled with terror. The appearance of the 
girl, however, who on hearing voices came forth 
from the cave, put an end to all doubts ; and now 
they overwhelmed the shy youth with thanks and 
praises. But he saw and heard only Mariandel, as 
she laughed and wept by turns with joy and grati- 
tude, now bounding into her lather's arms, now 
clinging to her deliverer; and the naivete with 
which these alternations of feelings were expressed 
made her really captivating. 

" At length the party began to wend their way 
back to the mill, where Peter was for several days 
the feted guest of Mariandel's family. The news 
of his heroic deed spread rapidly through the 
valley. People were never weary of sounding his 
praise, generally, however, winding up with the 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 211 

sorrowful exclamation of: 'What a pity that he 
is an idiot ! ' 

" It is just possible, that, had Peter at once lost 
sight of Mariandel, the first impression she had 
made upon him, deep as it was, would have gra- 
dually faded away. But instead of that, he re- 
mained for more than a week in the society of the 
girl, who, prompted by her impulsive nature, did 
all in her power to show her gratitude to him ; so 
that, when he returned home, his love had already 
gained a mastery over him, and he clung to her 
with all the natural fervour of his disposition. 

"It was an unfortunate circumstance that the 
object of that devoted attachment was a simple and 
frivolous being, who did not at all comprehend the 
worth of the treasure Providence had placed within 
her reach. Mariandel, it is true, had her good 
qualities ; yet she was scarcely sixteen, and who can 
wonder that, at so early an age, she possessed 
neither the judgment nor the foresight of riper 
years ; that with her gay and thoughtless disposi- 
tion she would gladly have danced and sung 
through life ; and sometimes even went so far as 
to have her little coquettish freaks ? As we have 
said, she had her good points, for she felt keenly 
her obligation towards Peter ; but beyond that, it 
did not occur to her even in her dreams, that the 
reserved and ungainly youth, who could not dance 



212 BUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

a step, who never joked and seldom laughed, en- 
tertained a serious affection for her. Even when 
he read to her his first attempts at poetry — inter- 
preters of his love — she only wondered what he 
meant, and lauded them merely for the author's 
sake. She listened, of course, with greater interest, 
when, in succeeding verses, he sang of her beauty, 
and felt pleased at being called an ■ Ideal,' as she 
thought it a prettier name than her own. But, in 
spite of all that, Peter's poetical skill tended rather 
to increase her share in the general prejudice, that 
he was not right in his mind. 

" On one occasion my father found him busily 
engaged in composing verses to his lady-love, and 
thus became privy to the secret of his heart. I 
have still some of them as well as a few of the 
letters he afterwards wrote to me; and, though 
showing a want of early education, they are full 
of the genuine expressions of a mind both generous 
and devoted, and display the workings of a fertile 
imagination. As my father took a deep interest 
in Peter's future welfare and wished to turn the 
tide of his energies, which were now expended on 
his all-absorbing passion, into a more practical 
channel, he tried to prevail on old Brettschneider to 
send his son to the excellent private establishment 
of Professor Sorgenvoll at Leutschau. Brettschnei- 
der hesitated a while, for his opinion of his younger 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 213 

son's capabilities remained unchanged; still with 
much difficulty he at length consented. This hap- 
pened a few months after the snowstorm. His 
father's decision at once put an end to Peter's 
visionary existence, and induced him to take a step 
which otherwise the timid youth would perhaps have 
delayed for years. Prior to his departure, on his 
way to bid Mariandel farewell, he met her by the 
mill-brook, where he not only avowed his ardent love 
for her, but at the same time entreated for hers 
in return. Confused and overpowered by such an 
unexpected and bold attack upon her heart, she 
yielded to his persuasions and consented to accept 
and to return his affection, without thinking of 
the meaning and serious consequences of so sacred 
a pledge. 

" In the possession of this precious treasure the 
exulting youth went to school, determined to win 
a brilliant future for her, however severe the 
ordeals through which he might have to pass in 
its accomplishment. 

" But scarcely had he been three months away, 
when he received a letter from his brother inform- 
ing him of their father's sudden death, and desiring 
him to return home immediately. The prospect 
of a meeting with Mariandel, after what had seemed 
to him a long separation, greatly softened the effect 
of this intelligence, and he hastened back to the 



214 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

valley with a mingled feeling of grief and pleasure. 
As soon as the funeral had taken place the will was 
opened and read. Steffel, the elder son, was left 
sole heir ; the testator merely naming the younger, 
to recommend him to his brother's care. On talk- 
ing this over with my father some time afterwards, 
he asserted that old Brettschneider, a few weeks be- 
fore his death, at my father's earnest solicitation 
added a codicil to his will, in which he divided his 
considerable property equally between the two bro- 
thers. No such codicil, however, having been found, 
it was generally supposed by those who knew Steffel' s 
mean and selfish character that he had destroyed it. 

" Peter was so ignorant of life, that the fact of 
being left entirely dependent on his brother's 
bounty did not even shake the fairy fabric of his 
happiness ; the rough blast that razed it at one fell 
swoop to the ground came from another and a very 
different quarter. After the reading of the will, 
he silently stole to one of the windows overlooking 
the valley where Mariandel dwelt. Whilst pic- 
turing to himself their first meeting in the most 
glowing colours, he overheard the following frag- 
mentary conversation between two servant-girls: — 

" ' Is it not a wicked piece of business leaving 
that poor young man penniless?' remarked one. 
' What can he expect from a brother who all his 
life long has treated him so harshly ? ' 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 215 

" ' It is certainly a most unchristianly act ; and 
he bears all his misfortunes so meekly ! — Poor 
Peter ! ' replied the other. 

" ' Yes, that he does ! and I don't think he is at 
the end of his troubles yet. You know people 
say that our new master is to wed Mariandel, the 
miller's daughter. Now, if I am not greatly mis- 
taken, that will bring fresh sorrow upon him/ 

" * How so ? I have not heard one word about it.' 

" ' "Well, my belief is that Peter is attached to 
Mariandel. On the day he went to school, I acci- 
dentally saw them sitting together for a long time 
by the side of the mill-brook ; then all of a sudden 
he ran off over hedges and ditches, and, with a 
happy face, sprang into the cart which was waiting 
in the court-yard to take him to Leutschau.' 

" ' So, then, she has left him for another. "Well, 
it is just like her. Sure enough, she is one of the 
last I should have chosen for a wife, with all her 
father's riches into the bargain. You know she is 
so conceited and fond of finery, and how she does 
toss her head, one would really think she was a 
countess. And ' 

" Peter had heard enough. The floor seemed 
sinking under him. The doubt of Mariandel' s 
faith had deprived his reeling brain of all thoughts 
save one, and that was to hasten at once to her, 
and satisfy himself of the truth of that fatal gossip. 



216 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Gruided by this impulse he rushed from the house, 
and ran until he reached her dwelling almost 
breathless. 

" He found the girl in the kitchen alone, and 
occupied in preparing the evening meal. She was 
so startled by his impetuous entry, that she let a 
pan which she was holding fall into the fire. 

" In order to comprehend the ensuing scene, it 
is necessary to say a few words as to what had 
occurred at the mills whilst Peter was at school. 
You are already aware that she never really enter- 
tained an attachment for him. No sooner, there- 
fore, had she plighted her faith than she regretted 
her rashness, and felt quite angry with him for 
having almost wrested it from her without giving 
her time to reflect. His absence did not in the 
least soften her anger ; and to make matters worse, 
shortly after Peter's departure, his handsome and 
lively brother Steffel commenced paying her marked 
attentions. She did not consider herself for a 
moment bound by her hasty promise, and following 
the dictates of her coquettish disposition, or per- 
haps in this instance, those of a real affection, she 
accepted the proposal of her new lover. The faint 
remnant of her scruples concerning her former 
pledge, Steffel quieted by declaring that his brother 
did not know what he was about, and that he was 
sure he would sooner or later go mad. So, with a 



EEOM EASTEEN EUROPE. 217 

hushed conscience, she agreed to break off all ac- 
quaintance with him at the very first opportunity. 
Notwithstanding this resolution, she was so com- 
pletely thrown off her guard at the sudden arrival 
of the decisive moment that she could scarcely 
speak, and trembled violently. 

" ' Oh, Peter, how you have frightened me ! ' she 
exclaimed, busying herself with the overturned pan, 
that she might avoid looking at him. 

"'lam sorry the sight of me has given you such 
alarm,' he replied, still gasping for breath ; • I 
thought you would be glad to hear of my return 
from my own lips.' 

" ' But you stumbled in so abruptly that I almost 
fancied I saw your ghost. Tou know how I dread 
ghosts when it begins to grow dark.' 

"Saddened by this cold reception, Peter con- 
tinued in a trembling voice: 'You can scarcely 
imagine how I longed for a few words of consola- 
tion from your dear lips. Por I, too, fancied I saw 
a ghost suddenly appear before I left home that 
still hovers around me ; but which, by % a word, a 
look, you could charm away for ever. Tell me, 
Mariandel, tell me truly, am I still dear to you ?' 

" ' I hear some one coming,' she exclaimed in 
great confusion. ' Por pity's sake leave me ; do not 
let us be seen together.' 

" ' Peter instantly stepped into the court-yard ; 

tr 



218 BUBAL AND BIISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

but after listening for a while, he returned and 
said: 

" ' There is no one stirring near the house. Tour 
father is with my brother up at the saw-mill, and 
the maids are milking. You may, therefore, with- 
out fear, grant me a few minutes' conversation. Oh ! 
let me ask you again, am I not already a stranger 
to your heart ?' 

" ' You quite embarrass me with your importu- 
nate questions,' she replied, with a look of offended 
dignity. 'The fact is, I ought never to have 
listened to your assurances of love ; you were too 
young, and are still a mere schoolboy.' Here a 
long and painful silence ensued, which at last was 
broken by Peter. 

'"This, then, is your answer, — your only wel- 
come for me ? How different were your parting 
words ! ' 

" ' But then you took me quite by surprise ; 
since that time I have come to the conclusion that 
circumstances would never allow of our marrying, 
as you haje no means.' 

" ' True, I have nothing now ; yet many others 
have commenced life poor like myself, and by per- 
severing industry became wealthy and powerful. 
"Why may I not as well one day gain an honour- 
able independence ?' he asked in a tone of self- 
reliance. 



FEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 219 

" ' I doubt whether that day ever will come,' she 
returned impatiently. 

" ' Many years may pass ere it arrives,' he re- 
plied ; ' and during that long delay you will have 
no other compensation than my poor love. I 
know, I feel the magnitude of such a sacrifice ; but,' 
he added, imploringly, ' should you ever be treated 
as I have been ; should you ever stand alone and 
forsaken in the world ; then, perhaps, if not now, 
you will welcome an affection such as mine ; only 
do not reject me for another ; do not banish me to 
my former dreary life ! ' 

" ' But I have also been told that you never will 
be able to make your way in the world.' 

" ' I see some one has been trying to prejudice 
you against me in my absence. "Who could have 
been so base ? And why am I incapable of gaining 
a livelihood ? ' 

" ' It was not said with any bad feeling towards 
you,' she hesitatingly rejoined. 'Your brother 
merely once hinted something of the sort to me — 
that is, he said — but no, no — I cannot tell you ; 
you look so very pale and excited ! ' 

"'Nay, you need not fear,' he stammered, 
scarcely able to articulate from agitation ; ' tell me 
all ; it cannot hurt me more than your altered look 
and manner.' 

" ' So be it then,' she continued, with a kind of 



220 BTTEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

desperate resolution ; - he said you never could get 
on — because — you — are — an idiot ! ' 

" The word was spoken ; the last between Peter 
and Mariandel. It would have been better for 
both of them if it never had been spoken; so 
thought the girl too, a moment later, on seeing the 
effect it produced. And in the first agony of re- 
morse and grief she would have perhaps sacrificed 
her life to have unsaid it. But as the course of a 
bullet when once fired cannot be changed, neither 
can any earthly power alter the meaning and 
weight of a fatal word, when once it has escaped 
the lips. Thus it was with that word ' idiot ;' it 
crushed a life full of promise in the germ ; depriv- 
ing it at once of light, of warmth and of air. So 
violent was its effect upon the youth's mind, that 
at the moment its meaning struck him his ghastly 
features literally assumed the look of an idiot. 
For an instant he stood like one in a trance, 
and then fled as if pursued by a phantom until he 
disappeared in the dusk of twilight. But long 
after the sound of his staggering steps had ceased, 
the terrified girl still heard him shrieking out, ' An 
idiot! An idiot I ' At midnight my father was 
aroused by a visit from Peter, who instinctively 
sought refuge, under the roof where a few months 
back the first light of knowledge had dawned upon 
him. He was, however, no longer the gentle and 



FKOM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 221 

intelligent youth ; he looked so changed, so broken 
and wretched, that my father had some difficulty in 
recognising his former pupil. To him he related in 
very incoherent language the occurences of the 
day ; repeatedly stopping and muttering that omi- 
nous word in heart-rending accents Nothing 
could be done to console and tranquilise him, and 
towards morning he hurried off to the mountains. 
He was subsequently seen in a pitiable condition 
wandering about the favourite haunts of his early 
dreams; then he disappeared altogether, and as 
weeks passed without any traces ot him having 
been found, it was generally supposed he had 
fallen into one of the gullies, and there perished. 

tl The anguish of a few hours was all the punish- 
ment Mariandel received for the misery she had 
wrought. She sought to forget even the memory 
of her unfortunate lover in the anticipation of a 
bright future and amidst bridal preparations ; and 
was rather relieved by the report of his probable 
destruction in the mountains. 

" The day for the marriage of Steffel and Mari- 
andel at length arrived. Towards noon, when a 
number of mountaineers had assembled at the 
house of her father, the party set out in carts and 
on horseback ior this very Chapel, where service 
was then regularly performed. On leaving her 
home the bride caught her veil on a nail, and tore 

tt2 



222 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

it so completely that she was compelled to proceed to 
church without it. This the guests looked upon as 
a bad omen, in which belief they were strengthened 
by the dogs in the yard at the same moment be- 
ginning to howl mournfully, ' as if they saw a spirit.' 
My father having declined to officiate on this oc- 
casion, the clergyman of Horka was summoned to 
perform the ceremony, which commenced as soon 
as the wedding-party arrived. At the moment the 
clergyman came to that solemn warning, ' I require 
and charge you both,' &c, he was interrupted by 
an occurrence which gave a most unexpected and 
tragic turn to the proceedings. At that window^ 
where now the branch of a pine-tree intrudes upon 
the solitude of the chapel, a spectral form appeared 
looking down through a broken pane upon the 
kneeling pair with an expression of wild despair in 
its ghastly countenance. This strange apparition 
produced a startling effect upon all "present, 
particularly upon the bride, who immediately 
fainted ; whilst at the same time several voices ex- 
claimed : * The ghost of the idiot !' It was, how- 
ever, no ghost, but Peter himself; though his ema- 
ciated figure bore a striking resemblance to the 
shadowy visions we imagine ghosts to be. No one 
ever found out whence he came, how he had obtained 
the knowledge of Mariandel's wedding-day, or how 
he had climbed unseen to his perilous post of obser- 



FKOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 223 

vation ; suffice it to say that there he stood, an un- 
bidden and appalling witness at his brother's nup- 
tials. 

"When the excitement was at its height, the 
scene changed again and closed as abruptly as it 
commenced. The better to maintain his insecure 
footing on the pine-tree, Peter leant his full weight 
against the middle shaft of the window. The frail 
structure gave way under the pressure, and fell 
with him upon the granite pavement just in front 
of the bride. He sustained a mortal wound on the 
head, from which the life blood gushed over the 
pavement, leaving dark spots discernible to this 
very day. Peter was instantly removed and laid 
beside the spring that issues from the rock near 
the Chapel ; there the last spark of life died away. 
At my father's desire he was buried in the cave 
beneath the Veresto Head, where he had dreamed 
the sweetest and happiest of his dreams, and where 
he now reposes beyond the storms and vicissitudes 
of human existence. 

" It may readily be imagined that such a terrible 
interruption was sufficient to prevent the ceremony 
proceeding. The Chapel was presently emptied, 
and the guests dispersed without farther warning. 
The bride and bridegroom left to themselves, re- 
turned home accompanied by the just condemna- 
tion of their neighbours, who naturally attributed 



224 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

the youth's untimely fate to the heartlessness of 
the girl and to the foul conduct of his brother. 

"The marriage was afterwards privately con- 
cluded at Kasmark. It proved, however, a miser- 
able one. Steffel and his wife lived in perpetual 
strife ; no child blessed their union, and they iailed 
in everything they undertook ; till at length, over- 
whelmed by debts, they were compelled to part 
with their mill. Steffel then settled as a charcoal- 
burner in the mountains, but with no better suc- 
cess. In order to drown his cares he took to drink- 
ing, joined a band of smugglers, and was shot in 
an encounter with the Austrian Finance Guard, 
leaving his wife totally destitute. She is now a 
decrepit woman, with not a trace of her former 
beauty, begging her daily bread from the inhabi- 
tants of the valley, who retain a traditional recol- 
lection of the idiot, and look upon her both with 
pity and aversion. She lives in a miserable hovel 
close to our homeward path ; and we will, if you 
like, pay a visit to the once fair miller maiden. 

" This catastrophe cast a deep shadow upon the 
hallowed walls of the Chapel. A superstitious feel- 
ing against it arose, and the mountaineers pre- 
ferred walking miles to another church rather 
than be disturbed in their devotions by recollec- 
tions of so painful a nature. Thus service was 
discontinued, and the building left to decay ; which, 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 225 

notwithstanding occasional repairs, has gone on ra- 
pidly, owing to the moist and rigid climate that 
predominates in this wild mountain region." 

The narrator ceased. 

The chill atmosphere and dim light that pervaded 
the place tended not a little to heighten the me- 
lancholy his recital had excited ; and we almost 
fancied we could see, amongst the bushy pine 
leaves, Peter's shadowy form resting against the 
window, as it did some twenty years ago. We 
were at length glad to leave the mouldering walls, 
and to find ourselves once again beneath the blue 
vault of heaven, whence the noontide sun sent its 
genial beams into the narrow glen, gradually dis- 
pelling the gloom that during the narrative had 
settled itself upon our spirits. 



226 BUKAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER X. 

ERLAU AND ITS VINE CULTURE. 

It would appear as if the patriotic blood so pro- 
fusely shed iu defence of the religious and political 
liberties of Hungary had, by a kind Providence, 
been transmuted into the ruby and golden juice 
which gushes in a thousand streamlets from every 
hillside in the land, in order again to find its way 
into the veins of posterity, and thus keep alive that 
heroic spirit which for centuries so successfully 
resisted all the storms and vicissitudes of time. 

Hungary, as it is well known, is a wine-growing 
country. The first vines were introduced during 
the third century into Syrmiam, one of its southern 
provinces, by the Roman Emperor Probus, who, 
instead of employing his legions to devastate the 
country, set them to cultivate the fertile regions 
along the banks of the Lower Danube. But, 
although both climate and soil were highly favour- 
able to the growth of that valuable plant, its cul- 
ture, owing to the unsettled state of the country, 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 227 

only became general as late as the twelfth century. 
Since then vineyards have overspread most of the 
lower ridges as well as large tracts of the plains ; 
so that at the present time they cover 1,400,000 
acres of land, producing yearly not less than 
30,000,000 Akos *— 480,000,000 gallons— of wine. 
Of this enormous supply a third is white; amongst 
which the fiery nectar of a clear yellowish green 
hue and sweet aromatic flavour, called Tokaj, takes 
precedence. It grows on the chalky hills near the 
town of Tokaj, and under that name has, since its 
first production in 1660, attained European cele- 
brity. Of the red there are many excellent varieties, 
which in strength, fire and flavour may fairly 
compete with the finest Burgundy; those of 
Erlau and Buda — Ofner — ranking the first on the 
list. A short account of the vine-culture in the 
former place will give a tolerable idea of the 
manner in which it is carried on throughout the 
country. 

Nearly midway between Pesth and Tokaj, two 
miles north of the road running along the southern 
declivities of the rugged Matra mountains, a smiling 
valley opens towards the plains, disclosing the vista 
of an extensive town with glittering spires and 
cupolas, crowned by the mighty ruins of a fortress. 

* An AM is equal to sixteen gallons. 



228 ETTBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

G-entle "hills dotted with countless villas enclose 
that charming spot, which in its sequestered and pic- 
turesque nook looks the very type of rural plenty, 
content and peace. This is Erlau, the capital of 
the county of Heves, and one of the prettiest pro- 
vincial towns of Hungary. It rises in terraces 
from the banks of a small river, arched over by 
several massive bridges, each ornamented with 
statues of saints. The peaked-roofed houses are 
whitewashed, and, though of simple construction, 
display an air of neatness and prosperity. 

The episcopal cross having for seven centuries 
exercised both spiritual and seigneurial authority 
over the 20,000 inhabitants, has kept them faithful 
to the Roman Catholic creed ; and owing to this 
as well as to the presence of various religious 
orders, who dwell in six spacious monasteries, the 
town has acquired the surname of " little Rome." 
Unlike, however, their brothers in ancient Rome, 
the priests of Erlau never attempted either to 
extinguish the light of knowledge or to extirpate 
the germ of freedom; but employed both their 
power and wealth to establish several public insti- 
tutions for the gratuitous instruction of the people, 
and in time of danger even from the pulpit exhorted 
their flock to take up arms in defence of their 
fatherland ; not unfrequently carrying their pa- 
triotism still father by placing themselves at the 



FKOM EASTEHN EUKOPE. 229 

head of the volunteers, as the cure of Erlau did 
during the invasion of the Austrians in 1838. 

Among several fine architectural monuments 
in the town are two which at once betoken the 
spirit of their founders, the bishops, and for their 
magnificence and vast dimensions would be an 
ornament to any metropolis. One of them is the 
majestic Dome, built in the Grecian style, its in- 
terior supported by two rows of rich marble columns, 
and bearing upon its imposing front the true chris- 
tian inscription : Venite adoremus Doniinum.* This 
edifice was erected by Archbishop Pyrker, who, 
though an Hungarian by birth, ranks amongst the 
most celebrated epic poets of Germany. Opposite 
to the Dome stands its noble rival the so-called 
Lyceum. This gorgeous structure with its gilded 
cupolas and towering observatory, its painted halls 
and chapel, is truly worthy the residence of the 
mightiest of the sovereigns of Knowledge. The 
following dialogue which took place between the 
founder, Bishop Count Eszterhazy, who was also 
Lord Lieutenant of the county of Heves, and the 
Emperor Joseph II., gives some idea of the im- 
pression it produces at first sight. The Emperor, 
chancing to visit Erlau just at the time of its com- 
pletion, that is in 1785, was so much struck with 

* Come, let us adore the Lord. 



230 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

the splendour of the building that he inquired how 
many princes had contributed towards its construc- 
tion ? " Only three unpretending people," replied 
the prelate, "the Bishop of Erlau, Count Eszterhazy, 
and the Lord Lieutenant of Heves." The stones 
for the Lyceum were taken from the extensive 
ruins of the fortress which played so important a 
part during the protracted warfare with the Turks. 
Those walls, formerly the arena of sanguinary en- 
counters, and echoing but the clashing of arms and 
the war cry of deadly foes, now resound with the 
peaceful, and enlightening discourses of the pro- 
fessors and the buzz of a multitude of scholars 
swarming to and fro in quest of instruction. 
Truly a strange contrast, and one which well cha- 
racterizes the spirit of the two ages ; the one of 
brute force, and the other of intellectual power. 
"VVe, for our part, are of opinion that the bastions 
of the fortress first became the genuine bulwarks 
of civilization and humanity when they were 
transferred to their present destination. The 
schools are endowed with prodigal munificence, 
and more than eight hundred youths yearly attend 
the gratuitous courses in philosophy, jurisprudence 
and theology. 

The town still bears witness of the dominion of 
the Crescent, which for an entire century sur- 
mounted its walls. Several families have preserved 



FEOH EASTEEN ET7EOPE. 231 

their Turkish names, such as Ali, Hadji, &c. ; 
and in the middle of the town, by the side of an 
ancient chapel of peculiar structure, once used as 
a mosque, but now occupied by the Brothers of 
Mercy, stands a Minaret, its elegant palmlike form 
rising two hundred feet into the air. It is still in 
excellent preservation, and on looking upwards we 
almost expect to see the Muezzin step into the 
gallery to announce the hour of prayer to the 
faithful. Yet times have changed ; and, in lieu of 
the waving garment of a living Mahometan bell, 
we descry but a hawk or buzzard flitting about the 
small door of the gallery, which, were w T e believers 
in metempsychosis, we might imagine to be the pre- 
sent embodiments of the departed Muezzins still 
keeping watch upon their elevated post. Some years 
back the Minaret was roofed at the expense of 
the archbishop ; and the Moslem pilgrims, who 
now and then visit the graves of one or other of 
their holy men interred in Hungary, may rejoice 
at the sight of the Crescent still shining, though 
from a deserted building, with undimmed splendour 
above a christian town. 

The inhabitants of Erlau — excepting some three 
hundred Greeks, the lords of commerce there — 
are all genuine Magyars. A mild climate, a bright 
cloudless sky, the possession of luxuriant fruit and 
vine gardens and constant intercourse with nature 



232 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

render them a happy and contented people, who, 
though divided as to their social position, yet with 
regard to their patriotism and the culture of the 
vine, find their interests and cares, hopes and 
wishes concentrated in one common focus. Every 
family, however poor, possesses a vineyard and a 
humble cottage, if not in town at least in the 
mountains. To each household is appended, as a 
sine qua non, a cellar, containing at any rate a cask 
of wine to keep the spirits of the owner in a cheer- 
ful state. There is likewise another commodity 
with which the vintner can ill dispense, and that 
is a vehicle, varying from the handsome carriage 
and four of the wealthy down to the humble donkey 
cart of the day labourer. Incessant occupation in 
the vineyards has endowed the people of Erlau 
with a rich vein of good humour, investing all their 
sayings and doings with an enviable air of freshness 
and joyousness. "Whether they hasten at early 
dawn to the mountains with their implements 
slung across their shoulders, prepared for a hard 
day's toil, or at nightfall bend their steps home- 
ward in picturesque groups, or in their recreations 
on the Sunday afternoons, they are ever to be 
heard singing their own lays set to pretty melodies 
also composed by themselves ; for the Hungarians 
are at home with the Muses, and need not seek 
their inspirations on Mount Panassus. The tute- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 233 

laiy spirit of the town has so far softened even the 
religious views of the populace that bigotry, so 
common in purely Eoman Catholic communities, 
is an exotic upon Erlau ground. For example, an 
Englishman on presenting himself at a monastery, 
though, as a matter of course, looked upon as a 
Protestant, will nevertheless be welcomed by the 
Superior in true Hungarian fashion, perhaps even 
in his own language, and as a friendly pledge a 
bumper of the best wine will be offered to him, a 
bottle of which is always at hand for such occasions. 
On Sunday afternoon when service is over, whilst 
the young people meet for dancing, the married 
men, clad in a dark paletot or white bournous, are 
to be seen leisurely sauntering towards their 
cellars in the outskirts of the town ; the procession 
gradually falling off as group after group disap- 
pears behind the massive doors, which they care- 
fully shut that they may not be disturbed in the 
sacrifice they are about to offer up in the bowels 
of the earth to one of the most popular of the 
Pagan divinities. Here and there a solitary indi- 
vidual still loiters at the door, and while twirling 
his moustache keeps a sharp look out for the pur- 
pose of waylaying some passer by; and whoever 
chances to be the first who comes within hailing 
reach, no matter if an utter stranger, will be cor- 
dially invited to step into his cool cellar. Such an 

x2 



234 KTTKAL AND HTSTOBTCAL GLEANINGS 

invitation, especially on a hot summer's day, is not 
to be withstood. "We will suppose ourselves to 
have been thus waylaid, and accordingly follow our 
unknown host into a spacious hall, containing a 
variety of vats and casks, and likewise a wooden 
winepress. Our host, who, as he informs us, is a mem- 
ber of the guild of lacemakers, presently puts his 
flint and steel into requisition, lights a candle fixed 
into a piece of wooden hoop, and precedes us down 
a steep flight of stairs into a subterraneous gallery 
hewn out of the rock, which ever and anon branches 
off to the right and left without any apparent ter- 
mination, since, excepting the dim light near us, all 
is wrapt in impenetrable darkness. In this under- 
ground labyrinth we feel ourselves entirely at the 
mercy of our new acquaintance, whose manly, 
honest face is the only guarantee we have for 
again beholding the light of day. As we move 
slowly along, we remark on both sides long rows of 
casks, holding from three to twelve Akos ; the pro- 
prietor meanwhile amusing us with the history and 
peculiar qualities of this or that year's growth of 
wine, and of the mystic connection existing be- 
tween the vine and its spirituous produce contained 
in the vessels around, which every spring, when the 
first shoots come forth, heaves and ferments as if 
unhappy in its gloomy, narrow prison, and thus 
sought to burst its bounds and escape to its birth- 



FEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 235 

place on the sunny, verdant hills. After listening 
a while to this imaginative discourse, we begin to 
fancy ourselves in the dominion of a sorcerer, who 
keeps a host of spirits imprisoned in the grim 
looking casks ready to be called forth at his will to 
work some mischief or other on his unsuspicious 
guests. At length the guide halts, sticks his 
primitive candlestick into a hole in the wall, and 
then spreads the contents of a bundle, consisting 
of a cold ham, sausages, roasted fowl and an ex- 
cellent loaf, upon the top of an empty cask. We 
seat ourselves upon others of smaller size, and at 
the summons of our host commence an attack on 
the savoury viands. And now the true enjoyment 
of our cellar party begins, viz., the tasting of the 
various wines. The lacemaker, armed with a goblet 
and a glass siphon very much resembling a magic 
wand, is perpetually on the move, going and coming 
in the dark, and always returning with a fresh 
kind of choice fiery wine, 'exhibiting every shade 
from the darkest ruby to the lightest red. "With a 
look of intense satisfaction he holds up each glass 
to the candle to show its sparkling properties and 
splendid hue, and we cannot resist at least a taste 
of every fresh specimen, more especially so as the 
ham requires to be frequently moistened. After 
each sip the host's eyes glisten more brightly, his 
tongue runs more glibly ; until, without a shade of 



236 EUEAL AND HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

distrust, like a talkative child, he makes us the 
confidant of his joys and sorrows ; of the latter the 
deepest being caused by Austrian oppression, 
which, he says, is a hundred times worse than 
even the Turkish yoke was. 

On mentioning the Turks, the lacemaker be- 
comes yet more talkative, for he knows numerous 
traditions of that period when even the women of 
Erlau turned heroines to battle with and chase 
away the infidels from their firesides ; and he cour- 
teously offers to relate one from his store, which 
possesses an additional charm at least in his eyes 
from its connexion with his own family. We of 
course consent, and the host begins as follows : — 

" Towards the middle of the seventeenth century 
the Turks possessed more than the moiety of our 
land. Their dominion, however, was chiefly con- 
fined to the ramparts of the fortresses in their power. 
Beyond these but little belonged to them, and that 
little was continually disputed by the ever- watchful 
and ever-contending people, who, however badly 
armed, not unfrequently put to flight the best janis- 
saries and spahis of the sultan. 

"In the mountainous parts of the land, which 
particularly favoured military undertakings, a last- 
ing guerilla warfare was kept up. As it often hap- 
pens in such cases, many thousand patriots, who 
had some heavy loss or personal injury to avenge, 



TltOM: EASTERN ETJEOPE. 237 

had sworn eternal feud against their hereditary foe. 
They united into small bands or fraternities, under 
the guidance of one of the nobles, and from the 
mountains made sallies to attack their oppressors, 
and even to surprise them in their fortresses, filling 
their hearts with terror at the sight of their usually 
victorious standards. 

" In such fraternities the father brought up his 
son to be a warrior, and when dying delivered up 
to him his arms, which whilst living he never 
dared to lose sight of. The gallant deeds thus per- 
formed are even now celebrated by the people in 
ancient songs ; one of which relates to a bold feat 
of arms of a certain Lelkem, who was an ancestor 
of mine, and likewise the chief of a guerilla band. 

"After our important fortress had been cap- 
tured by the Turks ; and the garrison put to the 
sword, a small troop succeeded in cutting their 
way through the army of the enemy and in es- 
caping to the wild Matra mountains. This troop 
formed one of the most daring and successful bands 
which embittered the dominion of the Mahometans. 
Their ranks were recruited by three generations of 
the inhabitants of Erlau. 

"At that time, when the Crescent, overthrown 
under the walls of Vienna, began to grow pale in Hun- 
gary, the chief of the Erlau guerillas was that same 
Lelkem, a young and fiery patriot. He constantly 



238 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

harassed the garrisons of Erlau, Hatvan, Szolnok 
and other places, by capturing their convoys and 
defeating their troops. On one occasion he ac- 
complished a very successful expedition by unex- 
pectedly falling upon a treasure convoy in Gryon- 
gyos,* on its way from Erlau to Buda, and cutting 
down the whole escort. 

'*. While his men were engaged in a combat with 
the Turks in the streets of the town, Lelkem heard 
a cry for help from a neighbouring house. He 
leaped off his horse, rushed in and found a Turkish 
soldier ill-treating an Hungarian girl. "With a 
stroke of his flashing sword he split the infidel's 
head, and liberated her from his grasp. Exhausted 
and subdued by terror, the girl lay senseless on 
the ground. Lelkem, with the aid of some wo- 
men, soon restored her to consciousness. The 
girl was the very type of Hungarian beauty, with 
black eyes and hair, the charming expression of 
her face heightened by a gleam of gratitude towards 
her deliverer. To the young man she seemed the 
fairest of all the maidens he had ever beheld. The 
girl, too, on recovering, thought the chief just 
what she in her lively fancy had imagined a true 
Magyar hero to be — tall, stately, with sparkling 



* Gyongyos, a town at the foot of the Matra mountains, 
containing 15,000 inhabitants. 



FROM EASTERN ETJEOPE. 239 

eyes, the terror of the enemy and the friend and 
willing protector of the helpless and unhappy. 

" In our country love soon takes root, and in- 
creases with a rapid and marvellous growth. The 
young man remained but a short time with the 
maiden ; still it sufficed to fill their hearts with a 
sentiment not easily to be effaced. Lelkem left 
the girl, whose name was Irma, with a promise of 
soon returning, but that promise was more easily 
made than fulfilled ; for scarcely had the news of 
the loss of the costly convoy reached Erlau, than 
the infuriated Pasha sent a strong garrison to 
Gybngybs, and ordered a hot pursuit after the 
bold guerilla chief; so that Lelkem, for a time, 
was an unwilling prisoner in his inaccessible lurk- 
ing-place in the Matra. 

" As a punishment for the loss of the money, a 
contribution was levied on the town of Gybn- 
gybs, and at the same time, to insult the inha- 
bitants in their most sacred feelings, the Pasha 
commanded the delivery of twelve of their most 
beautiful daughters for the harem of the Pasha of 
Buda. The consternation and the wrath of the 
poor townspeople at this twofold outrage knew 
no bounds ; but, conscious of their weakness, they 
submitted to the sentence, and, as neither en- 
treaties nor promises could soften the inflexible 
Turkish commander, presented their girls for se- 



240 ETJEAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

lection to the officer sent for that purpose from 
Erlau. Among the number chosen was the un- 
happy Irma. 

" Lelkem speedily received this dreadful intelli- 
gence. His instant determination was to prevent 
the maidens from being carried off ; but for the 
moment he was quite at a loss to devise a plan 
likely to prove successful against the numerous 
garrison of Gybngyos. In the midst of this di- 
lemma he was interrupted by the arrival of a mes- 
senger from his uncle, the Prior of a monastery of 
Carmelites in that neighbourhood, summoning the 
chief to an immediate conference, which Lelkem 
did not delay attending to, knowing his uncle, who 
had already often assisted him with good advice 
during his expeditions, to be a wise and patriotic 
man. 

" He found the Prior in great excitement as to 
the fate of the unfortunate town. The monk con- 
jured Lelkem, by his Christian faith and his love 
for his country, now to show what enthusiasm the 
Hungarian was capable of in the defence of his 
rights and his countrywomen. He then proposed 
to him to go to the town dressed as a monk, and 
there to agree upon a scheme with the inhabitants. 
The first part of this proposal was easily effected, 
as a few hours previously Dulo, the father of Irma, 
had sent to the monastery for a priest to pray by 



FEOM EASTEEtf EUEOPE. 211 

his daughter, who was then dangerously ill. Lel- 
kem was for a moment unmanned by this sad in- 
formation, but by a violent effort he checked his 
feelings, and declared his readiness to comply with 
the wish of his uncle. He hastily put on a cowl 
and left the monastery mounted upon a mule. 
He had the good fortune to pass the Turkish out- 
posts unremarked, and arrived at the dusk of even- 
ing, accompanied by Dulo's messenger, in Gyongyos. 

" With the capuchin drawn over his head Lel- 
kem entered Irma's room. She was much changed 
during the few weeks that had elapsed since he 
saw her, and was so exhausted that the pretended 
monk had to bend over her to catch her whispered 
words. He could not long carry on his disguise, 
and exclaimed, with all the fervour of his heart, 
1 1 am not a monk, Irma, but thy warrior, and am 
come to cure and to save thee ; for as long as I 
live thou shalt not fall into the power of the in- 
fidels ! ' At the sound of that voice, the tone of 
which she had never forgotten, the girl thought she 
dreamt ; but again looking into his truthful, manly 
face, she saw that all was a happy reality and she 
seemed to live anew. 

" The guerilla chief likewise disclosed his se- 
cret and his intention to her father, who, cheered 
by his presence, instantly stole away to others of 
his tried and brave neighbours, inviting them to 

T 



242 ETJKAL AND HISTOETCAL GLEANINGS 

meet at his house. The men came. As it was 
supposed that the escort, with the tribute of the 
town, on proceeding to Buda, would halt for a 
night at the fortress of Hatvan, half way between 
Gyongyos and Buda, at the proposal of Lelkem a 
daring plan was projected and resolved upon. 

" Two days later an order came to deliver up 
the tribute of money and of women. The mayor 
by presents obtained the permission of the com- 
mander that the maidens should be allowed to 
remain veiled during their journey, until they were 
introduced into the presence of the Pasha of Buda. 
All happened as they wished. At the moment of 
their departure they were taken in closed litters 
from their dwellings, and left Gyongyos under a 
strong escort, accompanied by the fervent prayers 
of the inhabitants for their safety. As they pro- 
ceeded very slowly, they did not reach Hatvan till 
late in the evening, whereupon the Aga resolved 
not to go any farther that night. While prepara- 
tions were making for the accommodation of the 
unusual guests, the commander of the fortress at- 
tempted once or twice to pay a visit of ceremony 
to the maidens ; but the matron under whose care 
they were, an energetic Hungarian woman, re- 
mained inflexible, and after a short contest res- 
cued them from the presence of a very unwelcome 
visitor. 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 243 

" At midnight, when all was hushed around, the 
sentinel at the door of the house where the maidens 
rested, had he been more vigilant, must have heard 
the opening of a window above his head, and seen 
a human form cautiously commence descending. 
The sentinel, however, dreaming perhaps of Ma- 
homed's paradise, remarked neither the slight 
noise, nor the figure in whom the chief was easily 
recognised, which by degrees glided down the 
high wall, till it stood like a menacing shadow be- 
hind him. Here a heavy fall was heard, followed 
by a dull groan ; then all became quiet as before. 
The sentinel being no longer in the way, eleven 
other forms let themselves down from the window, 
one and all bearing greater resemblance to stalwart 
warriors than to gentle maidens. Lelkem hastily 
gave his . commands in a suppressed voice ; and 
after leaving two men at the door of the dwelling, 
they vanished into the dark and deserted street 
which led to the east gate. There they surprised 
the small guard with equal ability, and cut the men 
down before they could even think of resistance. 
But in spite of their quick and cautious proceed- 
ings, they were detected by a Turkish sentinel who 
fired his gun, which aroused the others at their 
posts on the walls, and the alarm-drum soon re- 
echoed from every quarter of the place. 

" No time was now to be lost. The gate was 



211 euraI/ a:n t d historical gleanings 

forced open with all speed, the drawbridge let 
down. Lelkem gave a shrill whistle, and on its 
being repeated at a distance from the fortress, in 
a short time a band of 150 brave men rushed in 
through the open gate. Lelkem placing himself at 
their head, led them to a decisive attack on the 
barracks, where the Turks already began to rally 
in overwhelming numbers. The battle ensued in 
the market-place, where the dwelling of the com- 
mander and the barracks stood, and where the 
mass of the garrison was arrayed. Lelkem's irre- 
sistible charge, and the death of the Pasha, who 
fell at the beginning of the engagement, soon dis- 
couraged the Turks ; darkness and confusion did 
the rest ; and after a short and sanguinary mas- 
sacre, they surrendered to the mercy of the victori- 
ous Hungarians. The garrison still numbered six 
hundred men, who were greatly surprised to find 
that they were conquered by so small a band. Tou 
will have already guessed that, instead of the sup- 
posed maidens, Lelkem and eleven of his men, dis- 
guised in female attire, formed the party so care- 
fully escorted to the fortress, which enabled them 
to accomplish their hazardous undertaking. 

" At the news of the fall of Hatvan the greater 
part of the inhabitants of Gyongyos fled to that 
stronghold, to seek shelter against the vengeance 
of the Turks, and they were determined, in case of 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 245 

a serious attack, to die under the ruins of its 
walls. 

" Among tlie arrivals were Irma and her father. 
Lelkem, now commander of a fortress, the fruit of 
his bold enterprise, celebrated his marriage with 
his beloved Irma, who was accompanied to the altar 
by her eleven beautiful companions so gallantly 
rescued by the bridegroom. 

" The strong site of Hatvan in the bogs of the 
Zagyva-river, and still more the events that led to 
the recapture of Buda by the imperial forces, left 
the guerilla chief of Erlau in the undisturbed pos- 
session of his fortress and of his well-deserved 
happiness." 

The lacemaker's warlike tale increases his zeal 
in producing fresh samples of wine, and we con- 
tinue to taste and sip, when, to our great surprise, 
we discover that midnight is near ; we, therefore, 
make good our retreat, after taking a farewell 
bumper, which is called St. John's blessing, and 
without which no Erlauman considers a convivial 
entertainment complete. "We find our suspicions 
regarding the mischievous spirits conjured up from 
the casks fully confirmed, since, on ascending the 
stairs, the entrance seems to have considerably 
narrowed, and when we get into the open air, with 
the moon shining brightly above us, the shadows 
of the fences and houses assume fantastic and spec- 

Y 2 



246 EURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

tral forms, which our lacemaker declares can start 
up at 'pleasure and flit with us on our homeward 
way. He tells us stirring stories of the doings of 
these airy beings; how they lead people astray 
when returning from their cellars, enticing them 
to the brink of some precipice, and pushing 
them head foremost into the depths beneath. He 
likewise assures us that more than once he has 
been followed to his own door by a monk, carrying 
his head under his arm like a chateau las, from 
whose grasp he saved himself solely by means of a 
rather energetic exorcism. 

Not satisfied with our protracted subterranean 
party our host will not let us depart till, Ion gre 
mal gre, we have named an early day for accom- 
panying him to his vineyard. 

The town of Erlau, save to the south, is enclosed 
by gently undulating offshoots of the Matra, gra- 
dually swelling up into higher and bolder forms 
until they join the chain of mountains that offer an 
imposing as well as protecting background to the 
vineyards against the rough blasts of the north 
winds. The cultivation of the vine begins where 
the last hut in the suburbs ends. Having once 
set foot upon the territory of King Bacchus, or St. 
Donatus, as he is now christened, we may ramble 
for miles through charming dales and over moun- 
tains, along roads skirted by high hedges of bramble, 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 247 

sweetbriar and blackthorn, with a never-ending 
prospect of vines and fruit trees. The mountains 
are divided into many districts, each bearing a dis- 
tinct denomination, such as Africa, Anglia, &c, and 
guarded by keepers, who are answerable for all the 
damage that occurs. Each of these districts con- 
tains hundreds of individual property of various 
extent. The vines do not exceed three feet in 
height and are planted in rows at intervals of a 
foot and a half; the rows running parallel with the 
declivities of the hills. Of the many varieties of 
grapes, the burgundy, black muscadine and for- 
mint are the most cultivated. But few trees are 
left to grow amongst the vines ; for that purpose 
there is an orchard attached to every vineyard, 
well filled with fruit trees, and containing also a 
kitchen garden. In the orchard either a villa or a 
hut may be found, peeping forth right invitiugly 
from beneath an ancient walnut or pear tree. 

At the sight of such extensive vine lands within 
the precints of a single town, the natural inquiry will 
suggest itself, of how is it possible to keep them 
in a flourishing state with the aid of only some 
10,000 pair of hands ? Whereon our kind guide 
gives the following information. If none of the 
blessings of nature afford to mankind the same 
amount of pleasure as the vine, there is likewise 
none whose cultivation requires so much care and 



248 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

toil. Yet the unceasing industry of those 10,000 
pair of hands overcomes every difficulty, and fur- 
nishes the necessary labour. The common Erlau 
vine grower usually lives six months out of the 
twelve in his vine garden. There he with his 
elder sons may be seen working away before day- 
break and long after sunset with untiring zeal, re- 
turning to town but for Sundays or holidays. The 
work is manifold, and may be thus briefly specified. 
In autumn the strongest and healthiest offsets, des- 
tined for the propagation of the vines, are sepa- 
rated from the parent plants and housed in the 
cellars. After this the vines are covered with 
earth to protect them from the frost. The first 
regular work of the season begins in March with 
uncovering the vines and planting out the cuttings 
and layers. At the end of March, the last year's 
shoots, save three or four, are cut away, the latter 
being left to the second or third joint for the better 
production of the grapes. In April the soil is 
turned up and weeded. In May stakes are set by 
the plants, and the branches fastened thereto with 
bast. In June comes the second and in July 
the third hoeing and the shortening of the bearing 
shoots; and when the weather has been particu- 
larly favourable for the growth of weeds a fourth 
hoeing ensues. Towards the end of August early 
kinds of grapes begin to ripen, and at the com- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 249 

mencement of October, the whole crop having ar- 
rived at full maturity, the vintage takes place. 
The average produce of the Erlau mountains 
amounts yearly to half a million AJcos, whereof the 
share of the poor man who hires out his labour does 
not exceed forty, whilst the wealthy proprietor 
raises crops yielding a thousand AJcos. A southerly 
aspect, with a gravelly or rocky soil, are most favour- 
able for the growth of vines. In the third year 
they already produce a good crop of grapes, which 
bj proper management continues during thirty or 
forty years. 

A month previous to the most interesting period 
in the yearly life of the people of Erlau, the prepa- 
rations for collecting the crops begin. The town 
from one extremity to the other presents a scene 
of unusual stir and excitement, and resounds with 
the strokes of the hammer upon the divers wooden 
vessels, which are being hooped, scalded and other- 
wise made ready for the reception of their turbu- 
lent liquid guests from the mountains. In the 
markets, streets, houses, in the courts and yards 
the people are carting, rolling along, and bargain- 
ing for the oaken casks and birch hoops brought 
down from the forests of the Matra, which form a 
lucrative branch of industry of the mountaineers. 

A fortnight later the day for the opening of the 
vintage is officially announced. 



250 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

In Erlau, as in many similar primitive corners 
of the world, the town drummer is the medium of 
all public announcements, whether relating to the 
loss of a dog or the execution of a condemned 
felon. The drummer is generally an old soldier, 
who, having ended his military career, has be- 
come a member of the executive power of the 
town ; receiving for his noisy calling a salary of 
four pounds together with his lodging, uniform, 
two pair of boots, six bushels of wheat, the same 
quantity of corn, and besides an extra half florin — 
one shilling — whenever his drum and lungs are 
called into action. 

On no occasion does he assume an air of greater 
importance than when, on sallying forth from 
the town hall in full parade, he turns his rubicund 
face towards the market-place, where the multi- 
tude impatiently await the proclamation of the fes- 
tive season. There he stands, a worthy represen- 
tant of Bacchus, and whilst the red standard — the 
sign of the vintage — is unfurled from the hall of 
justice he, with a roll of his drum, delivers the de- 
cree of the magistrate in a voice more than usually 
hoarse and solemn. From the market-place he 
proceeds to each of the six quarters of the town, 
halting at intervals to repeat the joyous tidings and 
accompanied throughout his march by a band of 
frolicsome boys, who, though in great awe of the 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 251 

drummer and his drumsticks, nevertheless, at a 
respectful distance, applaud and mimic his orato- 
rical performance. 

At length the anxiously looked for day arrives, 
and long before dawn a general emigration from 
the town takes place. Vehicles of every descrip- 
tion laden with vats, casks and noisy children jolt 
over the rough stone pavements, their rattle in- 
forming us that the campaign against the myriads 
of elfin spirits hid in every bunch of grapes has 
commenced. The houses one and all send forth 
their full contingent, armed with baskets and pro- 
visions to swell the number of combatants. At 
sunrise an endless caravan, loud with laughing 
voices, overflows the mountains, leaving a wave of 
the mighty tide at every opening in the hedges ; 
the remainder dashing on and on, till at last hill 
and dale are deluged with busy collectors. The 
diverse streams receive a considerable afflux from 
the mountaineers, who, owing to their elevated 
position, have no vine gardens of their own, and at 
this juncture, all the women and girls pour down 
to offer their labour for a few pence daily and their 
food. "Wrapped from head to foot in a large white 
sheet, they form a striking contrast to the towns- 
people dressed in their gaudy-coloured apparel. 
In this way the vintage is heralded in, the sky 
spreading bright and blue over the rich hilly land 



252 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

scape that reverberates with the merry sounds of 
the vintagers ; a tinge of the first breath of autumn 
adding new charms to the luxuriant and picturesque 
scenery. 

The moment a party enters a vineyard, there is 
a general rush upon the grapes amidst shouts and 
huzzas, and the luscious fruit peeping in dark- 
blue clusters from out the indented leaves is culled 
with childish glee and excitement. And not until 
a fair quantity has been consumed does the joyous 
task really commence. Grape picking is the espe- 
cial business of the women and children, who cut 
off the bunches with a knife, collecting them in 
wooden vessels, and laying aside the finest for winter 
use. A number of men are employed in carrying 
the grapes in butts to a vat near the hut, where 
other men are engaged in bruising them with 
pronged poles, and loading the waggons with the 
mash to be carried off to the pressing houses. 
"Wandering gipsy musicians tarry round the vin- 
tagers, rendering the scene still more animated by 
their lively performance. They are plentifully re- 
warded with grapes, which their wives and children 
gather into baskets. Neither do the beggars neglect 
the favourable opportunity, being well aware that 
men are in general inclined to be charitable when 
surrounded by plenty ; and accordingly take up 
their position, where several roads meet, and chaunt 



FROM EASTEEN EUROPE. 253 

in plaintive accents some holy song to awaken 
sympathy in the hearts of the passers by. The 
stranger strolling over the mountains during this 
protracted festival, will he invited to enter the vine- 
yards, and partake of the aromatic muscadine or 
the high flavoured rose-bud grape ; or if it is noon 
to join the dinner of the vintagers, spread upon 
the grass in goodly dishes, containing mutton boiled 
in millet, and roasted pork with Sour Kraut. At 
nightfall the mountains glow with countless bon- 
fires and sky rockets, and various fire works sparkle 
and explode in company with the boisterous jokes 
of the groups encamped around the blazing fires. 
Thus the night is spent alternately with music, 
dance and storytelling, until the following morning 
brings back the joys and labours of the past day. 

In three weeks at the most the crops are all col- 
lected, and then the poorest class come in for their 
share, as they are allowed free access to the vine- 
yards to glean the grapes overlooked during the 
gathering. The vintage is closed with several balls, 
in which priests and laymen partake with equal 
zeal and pleasure. 

After the mash has been transferred to the press- 
house, it is trodden by men in perforated tubs, 
placed over the vats which are destined to hold the 
Torholy— bruised grapes — during the fermentation 
process. The must of the white grapes is only left 



254 EUBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

twenty-fours to ferment upon the stalks ; it is then 
introduced into casks, whilst that of the black re- 
mains for ten or twelve days in the vats. The 
long contact with the husks gives the wine a deep 
ruby colour, and makes it the better for keeping ; 
though the stalks impart an astringency to the 
juice, which, on that account, requires some years 
before it comes to its prime. The wine of a light 
red colour, called Schiller, is produced from black 
grapes, the must being removed to the vessels from 
the stalks after a day's fermentation. After the 
must is drained off the vats, the Torkoly is sub- 
jected to a wooden press, a simple machine worked 
by one man. Prom the cakes a kind of brandy is 
distilled. 

In particularly hot seasons, when many of the 
grapes turn to raisins on the vines, the dried 
berries, are picked off and put into wooden vessels 
apart. The thick juice, which of itself runs from 
them, is called Essence, and is kept as a rarity only 
to be used on festive occasions, and is never brought 
into the market. Then a good old wine is poured 
upon the berries from which the essence has been 
extracted, and left to stand for several days. This 
produces the celebrated beverage known under the 
name of Tokay. 

In former times the officers of the bishop and 
chapter— the secular and spiritual lords of the 



FEOM EASTERN EUEOBE. 255 

town — blocked up all the main thoroughfares lead- 
ing from the mountains, to take the tenth of the 
produce as a ground tax, and another tenth as 
tithes. The Diet of 1848 having freed the land 
from all seigneurial and ecclesiastical imposts, the 
owner of vineyards came into full possession of his 
hitherto feudal tenure. Yet this happy state of 
affairs lasted but to the close of the war of inde- 
pendence. Then the old system was re-established 
with increased vigour, with this difference, however, 
that Austria has now stepped into the right of the 
former lords, and pockets the double tithes and 
tenths in money ; for, in lieu of exacting the dues 
in kind, which hitherto fell lightly upon the pro- 
ducers, the Government demands payment of one 
florin for every ATco of wine produced, and another 
florin when sold or consumed. Some years since 
an Aho of common wine seldom fetched more than 
from two to three florins ; it will, therefore, be easily 
understood that so immoderate a tax, amounting 
almost to one hundred per cent., presses most 
heavily upon the producers. The result is already 
felt, and in consequence the cultivation of the vine 
has in several districts greatly fallen off. 



256 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTEE XI. 

THE WESTEEN BOEDEES. 

Theee was a time when the countries now so un- 
naturally conglomerated in the grasp of the double- 
headed Austrian eagle, each formed an independent 
and happy realm, under its own native prince; 
when the dukes of Austria, although emperors of 
Germany, possessed but a small strip of land on 
either bank of the Danube, bounded by Passau 
and Presburgh; when, unable to defend them- 
selves against their neighbours, they lost even their 
hereditary possessions, and were living as fugitives 
on the bounty of one or other of their vassals in 
Germany. 

The latter was particularly the case during the 
second moiety of the fifteenth century, when the 
Emperor Frederick IV., Duke of Austria, by his 
repeated invasions of the border countries of Hun- 
gary, whilst their sovereign, Matthias Corvinus, 
was engaged in a severe contest with Turkey, pro- 
voked the just resentment of that renowned king. 
Matthias not only routed the Austrian forces, but 



FEOM EASTERN EUBOPE. 257 

in a few months conquered Stiermark and Upper 
Austria, with all their fortresses, extending the 
boundaries of his realm to Tyrol and Bavaria, and 
taking up his residence at Vienna. The inhabi- 
tants of this city, dissatisfied with their duke for 
continually imposing new taxes on them, gladly 
submitted to the liberal and just sway of the 
Hungarian sovereign. 

In order effectually to protect the borders against 
any future inroads of the Austrians, Matthias gave 
the adjacent countries a military organisation, dis- 
tributing the woodlands along the frontiers amongst 
the most deserving veterans of his invincible Elack 
Legion,* and bestowing on them the rights and 
privileges of noblemen, for which they, in time of 
emergency, were to lead the borderers of their dis- 
trict against the invading enemy. 

The portion of the western frontiers where Mat- 
thias put this salutary measure into effect is formed 
partly by the Laitha river and partly by offshoots 
of the Styrian Alps, which assume gentler forms in 
their descent into the western counties. The 



* The Black Legion was a corps of six thousand regular foot 
soldiers. Matthias organised them himself, and kept them in 
his pay, even in time of peace, as the elite of his army. This 
Legion mustered the bravest men, who with their irresistible 
charge often decided a victory. The king knew most of them 
by name. 

z2 



258 EUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

mountain ranges are covered throughout with a 
verdant carpeting of many-shaped leaves and blades, 
and contain a variety of lovely, parklike landscapes. 
The inhabitants along these borders are a branch 
of the great Teutonic family. They are called 
Hienzen, speak a corrupt dialect of the G-erman, 
and are as simple, contented, industrious and 
peaceful as their brethren on Austrian territory, 
to whom in habits and costume they bear great 
affinity. Their small and modest villages nestle in 
secluded, romantic valleys, on the banks of some 
clear rivulet, abounding in trout and surrounded 
dj forests of magnificent fir, beech and oak trees, 
with large clearings for agricultural purposes. 
Every church spire is there surmounted by a cock, 
a sign that the inhabitants at one time professed 
the tenets of the reformed church, till the whole- 
sale and sanguinary conversions under Leopold I. 
left the people no choice but extirpation or Eo- 
manism. The Hienzen, in accordance with their 
unresisting nature, chose the latter, keeping, how- 
ever, the cocks as mementoes upon their church 
spires, firmly believing that the time will yet come 
when those heralds of the dawn will again announce 
the advent of a lasting freedom of conscience. The 
ruins of castles and towers, which crown many a 
rocky projection and isolated mountain peak, still 
bear testimony to the fierce and desultory warfare 



FEOM EASTEEN ETTEOPE. 259 

htat must have been carried on for centuries along 
the borders. Most of those strongholds played an 
important part at one or other period of the middle 
ages ; each of them, as if reflecting a portion of the 
history of those barbarous times, possessing its 
tradition of a more or less stirring character. 

There is, for example, the castle of Lockenhaus, 
in the lovely Gincz valley, once the property of the 
powerful Knight Templars, who, in the beginning 
of the fourteenth century, at the order of King 
Charles Robert, were extirpated in Hungary as 
well as in other countries. To the visitor of that 
ancient but still habitable building is shown, 
amongst other curiosities, the great hall, commonly 
called the " Hall of Blood," where the assembled 
brethren of the Temple were surprised and mas- 
sacred by the troops of the king. The large dark 
spots on the stone pavement are said to be the 
innocent blood of the cavaliers, which, in spite of 
every effort to efface them, retain their reddish 
hue, as if to bear eternal witness of the cruelty 
perpetrated on them. Higher up in the moun- 
tains, the castle of Landsee rises above the sur- 
rounding country. One of its earlier possessors, 
in consequence of a fit of jealousy, caused his 
young and beautiful wife to be immured there. A 
few days afterwards, on being convinced of her inno- 
cence, he broke down the walls of her prison. But 



260 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

his repentance came too late. Overwhelmed by 
incessant remorse for his foul deed, the husband 
made a vow to pass the remainder of his days as a 
hermit, in the very cell in which his wife had en- 
dured all the horrors of a death by starvation. In 
the vicinity of Landsee, upon a steep rocky sum- 
mit, is the fortress of Forchtenstein, still in good 
preservation, wherein the vast family treasures of 
the princes of Eszterhazy are guarded by a company 
of grenadiers kept in their pay. 

The most picturesque and stately ruins in that 
neighbourhood are those of Kirchschlag, encircling 
the brow of a conical mountain projection, and 
overlooking a borough of the same name. 

About half an hour distant from that place, in 
an easterly direction, stands an isolated tower on 
a granite block, its mossy walls partly hidden by 
lofty fir-trees. It was in former times one of the 
fortifications erected at the command of Matthias 
for the protection of the borders, and is situated 
on the left bank of a mountain rivulet, which, at 
that point, for several miles, forms the boundary 
between Hungary and Austria. This secluded spot 
is known as the " Grave of the Hungarian Girl," a 
name in harmony with its loneliness and solemn 
stillness. But the melancholy the place inspires 
is changed into painful sympathy by the tradition 
attached to it, the affecting episode of which invests 



EEOM EASTERN ETTEOPE. 261 

that otherwise unimportant ruin with an unfading 
interest, and at the same time connects its fate 
with that of the castle of Kirchschlag. 

The facts, as they were narrated to us, are as 
follows: "When Matthias established his line of 
defence, the land in the vicinity of the " Grave of 
the Hungarian Girl " fell to the share of Karol, a 
gallant officer in the Black Legion, who, after 
building a stronghold, settled there with his family 
and a dozen men-at-arms, clearing from the wood- 
land as much ground for agricultural purposes as 
was necessary for their subsistence. 

At that period the castle of Kirchschlag belonged 
to a powerful and wealthy Austrian magnate, the 
Count of Puchheim, who besides possessed several 
other castles and seigniories throughout the land. 
He was one of the favourities of Frederick IV., 
hating the Hungarians most heartily, and ravaging 
their country on every plausible opportunity. As 
he, however, waylaid and plundered not only Hun- 
garians, but also his own countrymen, the people 
bestowed on him the denomination of the Knight 
of Evil. 

Puchheim was a widower, having an only son, 
Rudolf, a youth of a noble disposition, who, the 
very reverse of his father, abhorred his nightly 
revels and predatory excursions. He, therefore, 
as often as he could, withdrew from the banqueting 



262 RTTBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

at Kirchschlag, and, taking his bow and arrows, 
rode out to hunt in the forests of his father's 
dominions, which to the present day abound in 
deer. 

One summer evening, as he bent his way home- 
wards along the winding course of a brook, his ear 
caught the tones of a female voice, singing the Ave 
Maria with touching sweetness, whilst the evening 
bell for prayer tolled from the castle. With sur- 
prise and curiosity, Rudolf followed the sound, and 
after a short walk at a sudden turn of the path, 
behind an overhanging cliff he discovered a scene 
of peculiar interest. On the deep bank of the 
purling streamlet, which there formed a clear mi- 
niature bay, a maiden of uncommon loveliness knelt 
upon the green turf, teaching her little sister the 
melody of that evening prayer, her countenance 
lighted up with an expression of childlike piety. 
The group was charming, but still more so the 
songstress, who, in the first bloom of youth, looked 
the very picture of innocence and beauty. The 
scene produced a marvellous effect upon the young 
Count, who tarried there, lost in contemplation. 
Suddenly he was accosted by a warrior of imposing 
appearance, who, on learning the name of the 
stranger, introduced him to his daughter Grizela, 
inviting him at the same time, as a good neighbour, 
to his house. 



FEOM EASTEEN ETJEOPE. 263 

Karol led his guest and children up a flight of 
stairs rudely hewn in the rock to a spacious 
clearing, where round a massive watch-tower stood 
several huts, surrounded by a plot of arable land, 
the whole inclosed by a rampart and ditch. There, 
on Hungarian ground, Rudolf enjoyed the hospita- 
lity of the simple but true-hearted inhabitants, 
giving himself up wholly to the uncontrollable 
emotions which the presence of the commander's 
eldest daughter had called forth in his young and 
susceptible heart. The friendly wish of the host, 
that the young Count should repeat his visit, was 
a welcome pretext for his coming again and again 
to the Hungarian settlement ; till at last he felt 
that he could not exist one day without listening 
to that voice which thrilled through his every 
nerve— without seeing those features that re- 
minded him of a picture of a guardian angel in the 
castle chapel of Kirchschlag. When unable any 
longer to resist the force of his love, he revealed 
the state of his heart to Grizela, whose affection he 
already possessed. They mutually plighted their 
faith, and the father of the maiden blessed their 
betrothal. The youthful lovers enjoyed their hap- 
piness with a feeling of perfect security and con- 
tent, caring little within their own fairy circle for 
the egotistical schemes of the outer world ; where, 
however, the storm was already gathering which 



264 RTTBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

was destined soon to annihilate all their hopes of 
happiness. 

Among the garrison at the watch-tower was a 
youth, by birth a German, whom Karol, when a 
boy, had rescued from destruction at the storming 
of an Austrian fortress. From that time the war- 
rior kept him in his family as a playmate for 
G-izela. The youth conceived a violent passion for 
the maiden; his suit, however, having been re- 
jected, his love changed into hatred, to which the 
success of the young Count added intensity. His 
keen, jealous eye detected, without much difficulty, 
the cause of Rudolfs daily visits, and on remarking 
the progress he made in the maiden's favour, the 
ungrateful miscreant, forgetting the numerous 
marks of kindness bestowed upon him by the family 
of his benefactor, resolved to betray the secret of 
the lovers to Rudolf's father. He accordingly 
hastened to the castle, and informed Count Puch- 
heim how affairs were going on in the Hungarian 
watch-tower. The wrath of the haughty magnate 
was terrible. Besides his hatred against Hungary, 
he felt the pride of his order and the prejudices of his 
country deeply wounded by the conduct of his son. 
In order at once to put a stop to his youthful folly, 
as he deemed it, he informed him that two weeks 
from that day he was to wed the daughter of a 
neighbouring cavalier. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 265 

At this intimation Rudolf felt that the crisis of 
his fate was at hand. Fully aware of the useless- 
ness of openly opposing his father's will or of im- 
ploring his pity, he withdrew apparently satisfied, 
and rode over to Karol to communicate to him the 
sad intelligence. The warrior knew of only one 
way to surmount the mighty obstacle, and that 
was, to go without delay to King Matthias at 
Yienna, from whose justice and humanity he pro- 
mised the most satisfactory result. "When the day 
for their setting out was once fixed, the betrothed 
quickly forgot their troubles, and now began to 
look upon their dreams of a glowing future as 
already realised. 

Although the preparations for the journey were 
made with great precaution, still the Austrian 
traitor's suspicions were aroused, and no sooner 
were they confirmed than he again hastened to 
Kirchschlag, imparting the fresh tidings to the 
Count, who was just then making merry with 
several boon companions. Heated by wine and 
passion, Puchheim swore, in the presence of his 
guests, to prepare a suitable nuptial couch for his 
Hungarian daughter-in-law. 

It was the evening before the day of departure. 
Rudolf and Gizela had visited, for the last time, all 
the places so endeared to them by a thousand 
sweet remembrances. Before entering the dwell- 

A A 



266 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

ing, they lingered at a lovely spot not far from 
the ramparts, casting a farewell look on the glo- 
rious mountain scenery, bathed in the rosy hue of 
approaching twilight. Lost in silent revery, and 
overwhelmed by an inexplicable feeling of sadness, 
they did not remark that darkness had gradually 
spread over valley and mountain. 

As the girl leant on his shoulder, Eudolf, all on 
a sudden, felt her whole frame shudder violently. 
The next moment she sank, with a faint shriek, 
into his arms, her breast pierced by an arrow, and 
her heart's blood gushing in a warm stream over 
her lover, who, in a paroxysm of mingled agony 
and madness, sprang forward towards a thicket 
from whence the deadly missile was shot. Per- 
ceiving the figure of a man moving off stealthily, 
Eudolf, with a bound, fell upon him, and in mute 
rage plunged his dagger repeatedly into the breast 
of the murderer. 

The catastrophe soon became known at the set- 
tlement, and Karol hastened with lighted torches 
to the spot, from whence two bodies were carried 
into the fortification ; one was Rudolfs father, the 
Count of Puchheim, and the other the victim of 
his vengeance, the gentle Grizela, lovely even with 
the impress of death on her pallid cheeks. The 
former still lived, and spent his last breath in 
cursing his son, who stood aghast between the 



FROM EASTEBtf ETTBOPE. 267 

corpses of those whom he most loved and venerated 
upon earth. 

Gizela was buried near the tower. Her tragic 
fate awakened so much sympathy that the people 
immortalised her memory by giving the place the 
name already mentioned. 

The bereaved father left the mournful spot, and 
settled farther eastward in the Rabnitz Valley, 
where the village of Karl now stands. 

Eudolf broken-hearted joined the war in the 
East against the Infidels, from whence he never 
returned. He was the last of the direct line of 
the Puchheims. The castle became deserted, and 
left gradually to fall into ruins. Tradition does 
not mention whether the author of so much misery 
received the deserved punishmeut for his treachery. 

It is scarcely surprising, that events such as 
these, shrouded in antiquity and the changing garb 
of oral tradition, the farther they recede from the 
present, the more supernatural they appear to the 
people, who, in their unenlightened state, dwell 
upon them with a feeling of superstitious awe, 
fully convinced that passions so powerful could 
not be extinguished with the life of the actors, but, 
for a certain period, animate them even after death. 
Thus the inhabitants in the vicinity of Kirchschlag 
firmly believe that at midnight they can dis- 
tinctly hear the tramping of Eudolf s horse, as he 



268 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

gallops up the mountain ridge that separates the 
castle from the watch-tower, to visit the grave of 
his betrothed, where he lingers until the crowing 
of the cock calls him back to his distant resting- 
place. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 269 



CHAPTEE XII. 

THE SZEKLERS. 

In that part of the Carpathian Mountains, which 
towards Moldavia forms the eastern boundaries of 
Transylvania, a tribe of hardy mountaineers have 
dwelt from time immemorial, who differ entirely 
from the neighbouring races, and have in their 
seclusion behind those lofty bulwarks retained 
much of their primitive originality. This tribe 
bears the name of Szeklers. There exists no 
authentic record of the period when they took 
possession of their present abode, neither of the 
place from whence they came ; this much only 
is certain, that in the ninth century, when the 
Magyars conquered Transylvania, the Szeklers 
had for generations already been established there. 
As their language, appearance, and manners be- 
spoke their Magyar origin, they were granted 
equal liberties and right of possession with the 
conquerors, and had the charge of defending the 
frontiers against hostile incursions. Hence the 
love of liberty and a warlike spirit are the most 

aa2 



270 ETJRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

prominent traits in the character of the Szeklers. 
Their numbers amount to about 300,000, and their 
land extends over 4000 square miles, which like 
the Hungarian counties is divided into districts, of 
which there are five. Here, as on the southern 
borders, Austria encroached upon the constitu- 
tional independence of the people by severing a 
tract along the frontiers from the mother country, 
and subjecting it, in spite of the sturdy resistance 
of the inhabitants and the protest of the Diet, to a 
military organisation. The tract thus separated 
contains three districts, and furnishes the Austrian 
army with two regiments of foot and one of 
hussars. 

The land of the Szeklers is intersected by high 
mountain ridges covered with primeval forests, 
which in many parts have scarcely ever resounded 
with the strokes of the axe. Hundreds of rapid 
torrents rush down the precipitous ravines and 
rocky glens, which suddenly inundate the lower 
valleys after a storm in the mountains, and in their 
destructive course deposit masses of rock and earth, 
to the detriment of the agriculturist. The Szek- 
lers have therefore to contend with the elements 
as well as with an uncertain climate ; their indus- 
try and perseverance have nevertheless prevailed, 
and every plot of ground where the plough or 
spade have found their way has been changed into 



EEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 271 

a waving corn field or a luxuriant vineyard ; so 
that the cultivated portion of the country bears a 
garden-like aspect. 

The Szeklers have not alone outstripped all the 
other races of Transylvania in their husbandry ; 
but have likewise left them considerably behind in 
point of intellectual culture, the prevailing reli- 
gion, the Protestant, having exercised a mighty 
influence on the education of the people. There 
is not a village but boasts a good school, and few 
Szeklers are to be found who cannot read their 
Bible and write their name. Another great advan- 
tage is that the Protestant clergy and schoolmasters 
are selected and well provided for by their respec- 
tive communities, and thus all of them are men of 
superior information, acquired in the universities 
of England and Germany. Amongst their public 
institutions for gratuitous instruction is the Pro- 
testant College at Maros Yasarhely, the Capital of 
the Szeklerland, with an average of scholars amount- 
ing yearly to about 800. The college possesses a 
magnificent public library, presented by Count 
Teleki, which contains not less than 100,000 
volumes. 

The Szeklers are sober, hospitable and devotedly 
attached to their country, and when abroad suffer- 
ing, like the Swiss, from the mat du pays. This is 
in no way surprising when we consider the mani- 



272 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

fold beauties and wonders of nature that surround 
them from the cradle to the grave. Whether on 
the mountain heights tending their flocks, or wend- 
ing their way over the valley slopes, where their 
towns and villages lie scattered in picturesque 
groups, or wandering amidst the rocky giants, 
towering above their heads; at every turn they 
are greeted by new scenes of a grand and imposing 
character, which produce an impression upon them 
that neither time nor distance can efface. In the 
bowels of the mountains many an unexplored vein 
of precious metals awaits the pickaxe of the miner, 
particles of which are continually washed away in 
the brooks and rivers, almost uncared for by the 
people. There are likewise entire rocks of salt, 
which from a distance look not unlike the Grlaciers, 
and whose waters encrust all the objects with which 
they come in contact with crystals of salt. In 
most cases the peasant has to dig but a few inches 
below the surface in order to come upon a layer 
of that useful article. But this he only ventures 
to do clandestinely, salt being the monopoly of the 
Government, and one of its most productive sources 
of revenue. Castle ruins adorn several of the 
rocky projections, and the stupendous caverns, fre- 
quently found beneath the mountains, contain fine 
specimens of stalactites of fantastic or regular 
architectural form. In these caverns it is not 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 273 

unusual to meet with mineral and hot springs, with 
which the whole country abounds. 

To the influence of such sublime natural beau- 
ties may be attributed the Szeklers' lively imagina- 
tion, and their talent for improving as well as their 
disposition to clothe the minor incidents of their 
village life with an air of poetry and romance. As 
an illustration thereof we will give a description of 
their courtships and marriages. The former com- 
mences by the youth presenting himself on a Sa- 
turday evening at the girl's window, when he dis- 
closes his sentiments either through the medium 
of his shalm or a song of his own composition. 
The following Sunday he singles her out at the 
dance as the object of his marked attention, and 
sings in praise of her beauty and good qualities. 
Is the girl disposed to lend a gracious ear to 
his proposals, she presents him with a bouquet on 
his next appearance at her window ; after which 
the successful suitor takes an early opportunity of 
sending a deputation of his friends, usually headed 
by his father, to make her acquaintance. On that 
occasion they partake of a repast cooked by the 
girl, as a guarantee of her culinary powers. If the 
friends are favourably impressed, they renew their 
visit at the end of three days, and in the name of 
the lover ceremoniously solicit her hand. This 
time the conversation is carried on in verse, re- 



274 ETJEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

sponded to by the cleverest of the girl's female 
relatives, who sound her praise in quaint rhyth- 
mical discourse. After several jugs of wine have 
been emptied the girl's father gives his consent to 
the marriage. Three days previous to the wedding, 
the Sirato este — evening of weeping — takes place 
at the house of the fiancee, whereat all her rela- 
tions assemble and weep over her approaching 
separation from the family circle. "When once the 
Sirato este has been celebrated the engagement is 
considered as indissoluble, and the youth repairs to 
the nearest town to purchase the bridal gifts, con- 
sisting of a large shawl, a pair of boots and a black 
cap ; the girl in return buying for her betrothed a 
white calico shirt, a pocket-handkerchief embroi- 
dered with red and a black neckcloth. 

The day preceding the wedding two Hivogatok 
— inviters — their hats decked with large nosegays, 
and their hazelnut sticks with ribbons, go from 
house to house inviting the villagers in rhythmical 
sayings to the marriage. On the wedding-day the 
VofelyeJc — bridemen — proceed instate to the girl's 
house to receive her from her parents. At first 
the father cannot be found, and the Vofelyeh ex- 
press their astonishment, remarking that as there 
is no church without a priest, there can be no 
house without a master. Whereon he appears and 
inquires the object of their visit. " We have heard," 



EROM EASTERN" EUROPE. 275 

says one of the Vbfelys, " that in this house there is 
a sweet dove, and we are come to carry it away to 
a golden cage, where it shall be fed with the finest 
wheat." The father agrees, and the Vofelyek has- 
ten to the bridegroom's, and return with him fol- 
lowed by the wedding guests and a band of gipsy 
musicians. "While the party rest in the courtyard 
the Vofelyek, in pursuance of their arduous duty, 
enter the house to claim the promised dove. The 
father eagerly brings forth an old woman from the 
adjoining room, asking whether that is the bird 
they seek ? The Vofelyek protest that they will 
not accept such a scarecrow, and that, having evi- 
dently mistaken the house, they will at once pro- 
ceed in quest of the real bird. But on being 
pressed to remain they consent, and after the 
master has repeated the joke the pretty bride is 
led forward by her mother and delivered up to the 
Vofelyek, who forthwith hand her over to the two 
bridemaids. The latter then assist at her marriage 
toilette, taking good care to make it as gaudy as 
possible. The Vofelyek carry the joyous tidings of 
their success to the assembled party, who to fill up 
the time had been doing ample justice to a plentiful 
breakfast. Now ensues the conquest of the bride's 
Parafemums — paraphernalia — consisting of cattle, 
bedding, clothing, and all kinds of kitchen utensils, 
which the weary Vofelyek have to obtain from the 



276 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

mother by dint of rhythmical persuasions. At 
length all preliminaries having been brought to a 
close, the guests mount their carts and steeds, and 
set out for the church together with the bride and 
bridegroom, who occupy separate conveyances 
decked out with flowers, and the horses with rib- 
bons and gay cloths. At every bridge over which 
the procession passes the bridegroom has to pay a 
ransom, which is given to the musicians. After 
the ceremony the party returns amidst music, song, 
and huzzahs, to the bride's house, where her long 
plaits of hair are turned up under a cap, after the 
fashion of the married women. The bride then 
hides behind a curtain with her companions, and 
the bridegroom, ere he can claim her as his own, 
has to single her out blindfolded from amongst 
them. If he does not at once succeed, he is com- 
pelled to redeem her from her attendants in the 
shape of a handsome present. 

Meanwhile several women have for hours been 
occupied on a long hearth, erected in the yard, in 
cooking various viands in large earthenware pots 
and pans; and now the marriage feast is served 
up. "Whilst the guests are regaling themselves, it 
is the province of the Vbfelyek to hold a dialogue 
in verse by way of entertaining them, in which they 
humorously portray the advantages and disad- 
vantages of married life. After dinner the com- 



FBOM EASTEBN EUBOPE. 277 

pany repair to the bridegroom's, where dancing 
immediately ensues. At midnight the JPdma tdncz 
— bolster dance — takes place, accompanied by a 
slow melancholy air, which closes by the bride- 
maids leading the bride to the door of the nuptial 
chamber. Dancing is then renewed and continues 
throughout the night. The next morning a car- 
riage accompanied by the musicians is sent to con- 
vey the parents to their daughter's new home. On 
their arrival there is a fresh outbreak of merry- 
making, which is vigorously kept up till evening, 
and concluded by the Vbfelyeh collecting money in 
a pan for the benefit of the musicians. On the 
subsequent day the guests who attended the mar- 
riage send presents in poultry, hams, linen, &c, to 
the house of the newly wedded pair. 

On "Whit Sunday the most beautiful girl in each 
community is chosen as the Queen of Pentecost, 
and led by the young men round the village land- 
marks, to make her acquainted with the confines 
of her dominions. The queen has many preroga- 
tives at the dance and in the spinning-room, and 
her sway, as a matter of custom, is obeyed by the 
juvenile part of the community, at least as far as 
it concerns the bright side of their social life. 

When one of the richer landed proprietors has 
any out-door work to be done in as short time as 
possible — for example, the cuttiug and housing of 

B B 



278 RTTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

his crops — he mounts a band of musicians on a 
cart, which is driven through the village, and from 
which his steward proclaims that his master invites 
all the inhabitants to a Kalaka — mutual labour 
party — on the following day. The summons is 
usually attended by a goodly number of men and 
women armed with sickles, who, headed by the 
band, betake themselves to the fields and amidst 
music and song complete their appointed task. In 
the evening they escort the heavily-laden waggons 
home, and partake of the repast prepared for them 
in the courtyard, which is the only reward the 
musically-convened labourers receive. 

Notwithstanding the influence of education, the 
Szeklers still cling to various superstitions, the 
more difficult to eradicate as many of them are 
connected with local traditions. Amongst others 
there is one attached to a rocky peak near Yaslab, 
where, according to popular prejudice, the witches 
assemble at new moon to hold communion with the 
evil spirits. On these occasions their shadowy forms 
may be descried flitting to and fro along the edge 
of the precipitous cliff, by looking through a hole 
in a piece of wood taken from an old coffin in the 
cemetery, which hole must be bored by a gimlet 
made of coffin nails. 

In Catholic communities there is a prevalent be- 
lief in the return of the ghosts of the departed who 



EEOM EASTEEN ETJEOPE. 279 

have left their worldly affairs unsettled, or wish to 
be released from purgatory. They are said to ap- 
pear at midnight, announcing themselves to their 
family by noises of different kinds ; and if there is 
any one courageous enough to make inquiries of 
the supernatural visitors, they likewise disclose 
their behests. To ascertain their present condi- 
tion, it is customary to strew ashes on the floor of 
the room over which they are most likely to pass. 
Human footprints denote them to be in a state of 
bliss ; while web or cloven feet are a sign that they 
are undergoing a purifying process in the nether 
regions. A ghost, if to no one else, is at any rate 
a harbinger of good to the cure, who, as the spirit- 
ual keeper of his flock, is paid for masses for its 
repose, which he continues to celebrate until the 
nocturnal visitor has ceased his wanderings. 

The land of the Szeklers, though protected by 
high ranges of mountains and narrow passes, has 
nevertheless the disadvantage of being encom- 
passed by two other races, the Saxons and the 
"Wallacks; who, numerically, are four times as 
strong as the Szeklers and entertain an hereditary 
dislike to them. Those hostile races not alone 
form a living wall between this tribe and their 
brethren the Magyars, but in the event of a na- 
tional movement, menace them with total destruc- 
tion. This was particularly the case in 1848, when 



280 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

the Saxons and Wallacks, conjointly with the Aus- 
trians, made desperate efforts to invade their land. 
Had not the Szeklers been warned in time of the 
magnitude of the danger, and thus taken early de- 
fensive measures, they must doubtless have suc- 
cumbed, and shared the fate of the inhabitants of 
the other districts of Transylvania, where the burn- 
ing of hundreds of towns and villages, and the 
massacre of the Hungarians, sufficiently proved 
that the war which Austria had kindled between 
the races was one of extirpation. 

In this emergency the Szeklers rose en masse, and 
led by their heroic chiefs, amongst whom the most 
prominent was Colonel Gral Sandor, they valiantly 
stood at bay in defence of their household gods. As 
the danger increased corps after corps was organised 
and sent to the assistance of General Bern ; and, 
while the youths were conquering the Austrians and 
Russians in the plains, the old men battled with the 
enemy at their own doors. The want of arms and 
ammunition they provided for by erecting powder- 
mills, foundries, and gun manufactories ; and as 
they had no metal for the founding of cannon, they 
took down the bells from the churches wherewith 
to peal a death knell in the hostile camps. The 
women and children busied themselves in making 
cartridges, preparing linen and lint, and attending 
the wounded. All had a part to perform in the 



FEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 281 

great and exciting drama. In the hour of need 
the energies of the people eminently developed 
themselves in the planning and use of the means of 
defence. One in particular, of the name of Aron 
Gabor, a simple uneducated peasant, gained un- 
dying fame by his practical genius. Having passed 
ten years as a sub-officer in the Austrian artillery 
service, he returned to his mountain-home and 
made himself conspicuous by his skill in the manu- 
facture of agricultural implements. At the out- 
break of hostilities he constructed a model of a 
cannon, and, although laughed at by many, actually 
founded a six-pounder. It was the first cannon 
the Szeklers had ever called their own. With it 
Aron Gabor hastened to the battle-field, where he 
arrived just in time to give a favourable turn to 
the combat. He himself pointed and fired the 
gun ; and great was the enthusiasm of the specta- 
tors when the ball went on loudly whistling its 
death song amongst the ranks of the enemy. The 
acquisition of guns of their own manufacture gave 
the Szeklers immense confidence in carrying on 
the war. After the first successful attempt a bat- 
tery of six guns was quickly constructed under the 
guidance of the indefatigable Aron Gabor, who 
was successively promoted to the rank of major, 
and intrusted with the management of the ar- 
senals. Several batteries left his workshops, till 

b b 2 



282 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

not a bell remained in the spires to announce to 
the heroic people the last storm that burst over 
their doomed country, the invasion of the Eussians. 
Hemmed in on all sides, and from the East attacked 
by thirty thousand Cossacks, the Szeklers in scat- 
tered bands still kept up the unequal contest with 
an energy almost superhuman, until the surrender 
of Vilagos made all farther efforts of no avail. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 283 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE CROATS. 

"When the Hungarian horsemen first watered 
their steeds, a thousand years since, in the floods 
of the Drave, they found the ancestors of the 
Croats already established there, forming part of a 
Sclavonian confederation, which, under the protec- 
torate of the Greek emperors, extended likewise 
over Bosnia and Servia. But the aggression of 
their protectors soon compelled the Croats to 
curry favour with the Hungarians, who not alone 
freed them from the yoke of the Greeks, but ad- 
mitted them as well to all the municipal and poli- 
tical immunities which they themselves enjoyed. 
As long as Hungary possessed her own innate 
sovereigns, Croatia, under the aegis of a common 
independence, was one of her most thriving pro- 
vinces, having been sufficiently shielded, by a 
strong and liberal Government, against the attacks 
of all external enemies. A long series of calami- 



284 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

ties for both countries commenced on the acces- 
sion of the Hapsburgs to the Hungarian throne. 
Under the misrule of that race, Croatia was ex- 
posed to incessant inroads from the Turks, and 
in several districts entirely depopulated. In order 
to re-people the land, Leopold I., towards the end 
of the seventeenth century, invited all the outlaws 
— who had formed themselves into organised bands 
along the borders, alternately ravaging both the 
Turkish and Hungarian territories — to settle there 
for the protection of the latter. This invitation 
was accepted by a great number of those despera- 
does, to whom the king assigned a large tract of 
waste borderland, severing it, politically, for ever 
from the mother country : at the same time sub- 
jecting the settlers to strict military regulations. 
Thus the foundation was laid for a system which, 
though salutary in its first results, at a later period 
proved highly detrimental to civil freedom. This 
system was arbitrarily extended over the entire 
southern and eastern frontiers of Hungary ; and 
when there were no longer any infidels to contend 
with, the arms of the Grenzers were turned 
against all the popular barriers that obstructed 
the progress of absolutism. 

Croatia, including the provinces called Sclavonia 
and Syrmium, has a territorial extent of 13,850 
square miles, with nearly 2,000,000 inhabitants, 



PEOM EASTERN EUKOPE. 285 

who, with few exceptions, belong to the Roman 
Catholic faith ; the Protestants being, by a special 
statute, prohibited from establishing themselves 
within the precincts of those provinces. The land 
is divided, politically, into two parts ; the larger 
comprising the Military Borders, and the smaller 
the Provincial Territories. These are again sub- 
divided: the former into eleven Eegimental Dis- 
tricts, under the command of two Military Boards ; 
and the latter into six Counties, each of which, at 
least prior to 1849, was governed by freely-elected 
civil authorities. The entire land is intersected 
by many mountain ranges, which, to the south, 
rise to a considerable height, ever and anon broken 
by wild, barren glens, yet towards the river Drave, 
Save and the Lower Danube, sloping down into 
softer forms, clad with vines and luxuriant foliage ; 
the beech and oak forests affording abundant pro- 
vision for countless herds of swine. Here and 
there the ground is perfectly level, and the land 
extremely fertile. Hence, whilst the Mountaineers 
have to contend with many disadvantages of a 
rough climate and sterile soil, the Lowlanders en- 
joy the almost spontaneous blessings of nature. 
Among their various fruit, the late plums, both for 
quantity and delicacy, deserve mention. Every 
house and farm possesses large plots of plum-trees, 
and even the roads, for miles, are skirted by them. 



286 ET7EAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

From their abundant produce a fine kind of 
brandy, Slivovicza, is distilled. The red wines of 
Syrmium are likewise celebrated for sweetness and 
flavour; the Roman emperor, Probus, having in 
the third century first introduced the growth of 
vines there, near the town of Mitrovitz. 

The Sclavonian tribes of Croatia are as different 
in appearance, character, and manners, as the coun- 
try they inhabit and the occupations they pursue. 
The Mountaineers have lofty statures, dark com- 
plexions, fiery eyes, long plaited hair and black 
bushy beards. They are still a set of uncultivated 
savages, sullen, passionate and revengeful ; re- 
doubted in time of war less for true valour than 
for ferocity and love of plunder. Baron Trenck, 
the leader of the famous corps of Croatian volun- 
teers called Pandurs, recruited part of his terrible 
bands from these mountains, and led them, during 
the Austrian war of succession under Maria The- 
resa, against the enemies of the Austrian empire. 
Clad in Turkish fashion with the fez and loose red 
mantle, and carrying the horse tail and crescent 
instead of colours, they went forth leaving a cursed 
memory wherever they set foot, from the dire 
crimes they committed on defenceless people. 
The populace of Bavaria as well as that along the 
Bhine, retain a traditional horror of their bar- 
barous deeds ; so much so, that even to this day 



FEOM EASTEBN ETTBOPE. 287 

they frighten their children into obedience by call- 
ing out, " Hush, the Pandurs are coming ! " 

The Grrenzer of Licca, the wildest amongst the 
mountain tribes, wears a fez, a tight-fitting black 
or green jacket, green trousers, red mantle and 
sandals of untanned hide, which are used through- 
out the country. His chest, both in summer and 
winter is left uncovered. The whole of his attire, 
even his linen, is richly ornamented with embroi- 
dery, braid of bright colours, and innumerable 
buttons and rings of silver or zinc. In his leather 
belt he carries his inseparable companions, a brace 
of pistols, together with a knife, his pipe and 
cartridge-box. His chief weapon is a long, old- 
fashioned gun, inlaid with silver, like those of the 
Turks. The women are tall, but too robust and 
masculine, both in appearance and bearing, to be 
called beautiful. The principal part of their dress 
is a long linen gown, of ample proportions, drawn 
in at the waist with a girdle, and embroidered at 
every seam. From their shoulders hangs a short 
cloth mantle, and on the head they wear a cap of a 
fiat or pointed form, over which they throw a black 
veil. The neck they adorn with rows of buttons, 
and in their girdle, like the men, they carry pistols 
and knives. Among their many strange customs, 
the most peculiar is the mode of marking their 
married or single state by the colour of their 



288 BTJKAL AND RTSTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

stockings; the maidens wearing white, the mar- 
ried women red, and the widows blue. 

Several villages in the mountains near the coast 
are inhabited by Uskoks, descendants of pirates, 
who rendered themselves famous during their 
desultory warfares against the Republic of Venice, 
and who even now surpass their neighbours in fe- 
rocity of disposition. 

In the wildest and loneliest part of the Croatian 
Mountains — the Great Capella range — lies the 
small village of Plaski, the birthplace of Omer 
Pasha. It belongs to the regimental district of 
Ogulin, where his father, Baron Littas, then held 
the rank of Captain. Omer Pasha was born in 
1801, and brought up from childhood for the mili- 
tary profession, which he embraced with great 
ardour, and in his twentieth year entered one of 
the Grrenzer regiments as lieutenant. In conse- 
quence, however, of some quarrel with his colonel, 
he suddenly left the Austrian service, and went to 
Turkey. There, having changed both his name 
and faith, he offered his sword in defence of the 
Crescent. His offer was accepted, and he rose 
rapidly, signalising himself by his conspicuous 
military abilities ; and now, in his fifty-third year, 
he fills the highest and most important post in 
that realm after his sovereign, the Sultan. 

On descending the mountain slopes, both the 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 289 

climate and people gradually become more ge- 
nial ; and in the low countries, principally in Pro- 
vincial Croatia, the meagre faces of the people 
bear an expression of gentleness and good-nature. 
Their apparel, also, undergoes a considerable change. 
The men wear broad-brimmed Hungarian hats, 
wide linen drawers and shirts, with the addition 
in winter of trousers of a thick white cloth, black 
great coats — Gunyatz — ornamented with small 
pieces of cloth of gay colours, and a large rug or 
a sheepskin — Bunda. The Torba completes their 
outer man. It is a leather pouch slung across the 
shoulder, and their constant companion by day and 
night. In it they keep their provisions, pipes, and, 
above all, the never-failing flask of brandy — Makie — 
of which both sexes are passionately fond. 

Alike in the low countries as in the mountains 
the women's chief attire is a loose linen gown, 
fastened with a leather girdle round the waist, and 
falling in a thousand folds below the knees. The 
upper part of this garment forms a very novel sort 
of larder ; the owner, in default of pockets, stow- 
ing in it a variety of eatables, such as cakes, bacon, 
sausages, fruit, &c, with which, on leaving their 
dwellings, they invariably provide themselves, in 
order to regale the friends whom they may chance 
to meet. A broad flat cap, or red kerchief, worn 
in the Turkish fashion as a turban, forms their 

c c 



290 RUBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

usual head-gear ; the neck and girdle they deck 
with gold or copper coins and buttons, and the 
fingers with as many rings of silver or zinc as they 
can conveniently squeeze on to them. They are ex- 
tremely fond of painting their faces ; their cosme- 
tics, which they begin to use as early as fourteen, 
are a preparation of vegetable matter. 

The domestic life of the Croats, in most respects, 
bears the impress of primitive simplicity; the 
family affairs being conducted in a patriarchal style 
by a chief, who manages the property much in the 
same way as the early Christian communities did. 

Neither the civilian peasant nor the Grenzer di- 
vide their landed property among their children ; 
the former from habit, and the latter from the 
fact that he is solely the farmer of government. 
Hence both, though from different motives, resort 
to the same expedient of keeping their increasing 
families together in order to carry on the cultiva- 
tion of their united possessions. 

A farmer's dwelling, when first constructed, con- 
tains but a large hall, to which, whenever a mem- 
ber of the family marries, a small hut is annexed, 
consisting of a single room, which is fitted up as a 
sleeping apartment. The dwellings are built of 
logs or raw bricks, and covered with the dry bark 
of the lime-tree. It is no rare occurrence to find 
from ten to twelve families of fifty or sixty 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 291 

members united in a house of this description, 
which looks not very unlike an enormous beehive. 
The chief of such a community is the Gros- 
podar, or master, who is elected for life to that dig- 
nity by the male members. His patriarchal sway 
is unhesitatingly obeyed, and, in case of need, 
even supported by the authorities. The Gros- 
podar has the uncontrolled management of the ex- 
tensive husbandry ; he provides for the necessities 
of his people, and dispenses the labour between 
the men ; whilst the wife's office is to guide the 
internal affairs, and to superintend the females in 
their varied occupations. At the close of every 
year, the Grospodar makes up the accounts in the 
simplest way possible ; that is to say, from a 
notched stick ; the men receiving the surplus in 
equal proportions, and the females their share in 
presents of dresses or finery. Besides the common 
property, each member or family may possess as 
much individually as they can save or earn by extra 
labour. They may likewise separate from the 
parent stem at discretion, and settle in farms of 
their own. This privilege, however, is seldom ex- 
ercised, partly from being accustomed from child- 
hood to the former mode of life, and partly from 
the conviction that by living together they spare a 
considerable amount of work, and more easily pro- 
duce the necessaries of life. 



292 KTTRAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

Although the great hall — the centre of these Cro- 
atian beehives — is properly the dwelling-room of 
the Gospodar, yet it is likewise, at certain times, 
at the disposal of the community at large, who in 
summer take their meals in it ; and in winter, when 
compelled by the intense cold to seek shelter 
within doors, old and young congregate round the 
enormous stove, well supplied with mighty logs, 
and listen, when the day's work is over, to tales of 
witches and ghosts, in which Sclavonian imagination 
delights. On cold nights the married people trans- 
fer their beds from their unheated rooms into the 
great hall, where they are placed in a row along 
the walls ; the younger and unmarried members ac- 
commodating themselves in the kitchen, stables and 
barns. 

Scarcely acquainted even from hearsay with the 
refinements of civilised life, the Croats are extremely 
simple in their habits, and have but few wants, and 
these they contrive to reduce to a still narrower 
compass to suit their naturally idle inclinations. 
Notwithstanding the salubrity of the climate and 
the riches of the soil, they and their houses not 
unfrequently look as if suffering from a seven 
years' famine. The furniture of their rooms is 
scanty and of a rude kind ; the great hall contain- 
ing but a large earthenware oven, a long table, se- 
veral benches, and a collection of gaudy pictures of 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 293 

Saints hung upon the walls. In the bedroom there 
is nothing save a bedstead and a weaving-loom. 
The kitchen is still more destitute of conveniences. 
There you find scarcely any utensils but a large 
iron kettle suspended over the fire, which is kindled 
on the ground ; and so far do they carry their in- 
dolence, that, instead of chopping up their wood, 
they push the entire trunk of a tree through the 
kitchen-door on to the fire, and whilst one end is 
burning away, the other is still in the yard. The 
spacious chimneys are the best provided part of the 
house; for there, during the whole year, hangs a good 
supply of pork, bacon and sausages for smoking ; 
forming an inexhaustible and almost the sole stock 
of provisions of a Croatian peasant. Of outbuild- 
ings there are but few ; since the grain, until trod- 
den out by horses, which they employ instead of 
thrashing, is kept in stacks, and the cattle and 
horses remain throughout the year in the fields and 
forests under temporary sheds. 

The expenses of a Croatian household are, of 
course, very few, the food and clothing being the 
produce of their own industry. The finery and ex- 
tra garments occasionally purchased are of a cheap 
kind, and descend from parent to child. A work- 
man of any trade is seldom, if ever, employed upon 
a farm ; the male members all being expert masons, 
as well as carpenters and wheelwrights. They 

c c2 



294 RUKAL AND 1I1ST0KICAL GLEANINGS 

build their own dwellings and carts, using as little 
iron as possible in their construction. Their wealth 
consists of cattle of all kinds, particularly swine. 
The horses are almost as small as ponies, but full 
of fire, and very fleet. They are harnessed four in 
a row, in such worn and torn trappings that one 
might well imagine they had already been employed 
in dragging the wooden horse of the Greeks into 
the doomed city of Troy. Bees are likewise kept 
in a very primitive fashion. The beehive, made of 
willow twigs, is plastered inside and out with a layer 
of cow-dung, and placed with its busy inmates on 
the bare ground. "When it is filled with honey, a 
hole is dug beneath the hive, and the bees continue 
their work, as the Latin poet says : Sic vos non vo- 
his mellificatis apes.* In several parts of the 
country, the culture of silk-worms prevails, form- 
ing a considerable part of the earnings of the popu- 
lation. 

The idle propensities of the men, however, are 
fully redeemed by the industry and dexterity of the 
women. The latter not only perform all the duties of 
the house, dairy and garden ; but even feed the cattle 
and horses, cleaning and harnessing the latter; 
while the men never stir till the women hand them 
the whip, which is the signal that the carts are ready. 

* You bees, you collect honey, yet not for your own use. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 295 

These, however, are only a part of their occupa- 
tions : they provide all the men's clothing, except 
the hat and sandals ; shear the sheep ; dye, spin, 
and weave the wool or hemp ; cut out the cloth or 
linen, which they then fashion into the required 
articles of dress ; so that it rests only with the men 
to put on the ready-made garments after their in- 
dispensable partners have even combed their hair. 
As we have stated, there is a weaving-loom in every 
bedroom, at which one or other of the inmates is 
continually employed, throwing the shuttle to and 
fro with marvellous skill and rapidity. 

As the Torba, or pouch, is the never-failing com- 
panion of the men, so is the distaff that of the 
women. Wherever they go, they invariably carry 
it with them in their girdle, their fingers being 
constantly employed in turning the spindle and 
drawing out the thread. In knitting and em- 
broidery they likewise excel : every part of their 
dress is more or less tastefully ornamented with 
the latter, either in wool or gold. 

The favourite food of the Croats is pork and milk. 
Their bread, although they grow wheat in abund- 
ance, is made of maize or hirse, panicum malacum. 

The patriarchal authority of the Gospodar ex- 
tends also to the marriages, which are arranged in 
the following manner: First, the two Gospodars 
hold a consultation as to the price of the girl, to be 



296 ETJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

paid in cattle ; and when they have agreed upon 
the terms, they ask the young people if they love 
each other. The answer, when in the affirmative, 
is considered as an official pledge of their mutual 
acceptance, and from that moment, whenever the 
affianced see each other in public, they dare not 
exchange a word or a look, but must turn round 
and fly, as though smitten, not with love, but with 
the plague. So it goes on till the parties meet at 
one of the church aisles in the vicinity, on which 
occasion a fair is always held ; when at a general 
meeting of the friends and relations rings are ex- 
changed. After this public betrothal, the lass has 
the right of choosing and buying at the expense of 
her future father-in-law all the articles of finery 
for her wedding, which are not a few and of the 
most gaudy description. On their return home 
the Gospodar, in the name of the fiance, sends the 
girl an apple filled with gold or silver coins, which 
form the chief part of her dowry. Besides the 
cattle he has to present each member of her family 
with a gift, usually of wearing apparel; this 
sometimes making a greater drain upon his purse, 
than even the apple with its costly contents. 

On the wedding-day the procession sets out to 
the church, headed by a clown, mounted upon the 
worst hack that can be found, and clad half in 
male and half in female attire, his hat decorated 



FEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 297 

with the wing of a goose. This post is always 
filled by the wittiest and merriest person in the 
neighbourhood, who is expected to entertain the 
company with his droll sallies. After the clown 
comes the bride, accompanied only by one female 
friend ; then follows the bridegroom on horseback, 
carrying a nosegay, and wearing a cloak which, 
according to custom, was thrown over his shoulders 
at the bride's house, and surrounded by a troop of 
mounted comrades. In the church a canopy is 
prepared for the bride and bridegroom, and during 
the ceremony two crowns of silver-gilt, or bronze, 
are held above their heads. The priest, having 
offered up a prayer, first takes the man's crown, 
saying, as he places it upon his head : " I crown 
thee, servant of God, for the maiden IS" — ." He 
then takes the girl's crown, and proceeds in a 
similar manner. "With that the ceremony is con- 
cluded, and the procession, with the newly-wedded 
pair wearing their crowns, returns to the house of 
the bridegroom, where the wedding is celebrated 
with feasting and dancing, which last for three 
days and nights or longer, until the numerous 
guests have emptied both cellar and larder as 
completely as if a swarm of locusts had swept over 
them. The morning after the marriage the bride 
carries the water for washing to the guests, on 
which occasion she receives a gift from each. 



298 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

The music of the Croats is the bagpipe ; and 
their national dance, Kolo, is simply turning round 
in a large circle, which is joined by all persons 
present, who, in order to keep their places, take 
hold of each other's girdles. The performers 
wheel round, or move quickly backwards and for- 
wards, keeping time with the music, and singing or 
rather howling one of their national melodies; 
the rings and coins hanging from their garments 
chinking, as they move, like so many spurs. 

In Croatia the good old custom of celebrating 
every particular event, such as birthdays, bap- 
tisms, deaths, &c, by a feast, is still in full vigour. 
As they are, however, rather expensive affairs, the 
prudent Grospodar manages to keep several at the 
same time. This is most practicable in the case of 
a christening, which rite is seldom performed un- 
til the births of two or more children have taken 
place in one family. The names given to their 
offspring are selected less from the calendar of 
Saints than from the vocabulary of affection or of 
nature. Names such as Milosh, Darling ; Lubitza, 
Beloved ; Jagoda, Strawberry, are usually chosen. 

At their feasts the G-ospodar drinks to the 
health of the guests one by one, and every time in 
a bumper. It is a matter of courtesy, on the part 
of the entertained, to empty their glasses after 
each health ; which of course brings about the na- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 299 

tural consequence, that a very few veterans are 
left on Bacchus' battle-field to do honour to those 
who come last, as most of the combatants are by 
that time disabled for farther effective service on 
that day. 

Another of their peculiar customs is that of 
going to the cemeteries on Easter Monday, attended 
by their priests, where, for an hour or more, they 
pray for the souls of the departed. Many bring 
the wardrobe of a deceased relative with them, and, 
whilst laying the garments one by one upon the 
grave, exclaim amidst tears and lamentations : " Oh, 
why did you leave us so soon ? your clothes are still 
good ; they would have lasted you for many years !" 
This singular act of piety over, they close the day 
according to the usual custom, with feasting ; and, 
on the very grave-mounds where a few moments 
before they prayed and wept, they now display the 
contents of their Torba, eating, drinking and mak- 
ing merry ; as if there were not enough mournful 
emblems around to check their mirth in its very 
core. 

The Croatian language, which is understood also 
by the Serbians, is an inharmonious idiom of the 
Sclavonian tongue. Like every Sclavonian tribe 
belonging to the Catholic creed, the Croats use the 
Latin characters in print and in writing. Their 
schools are few, and even those badly attended and 



300 KTTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

still worse managed ; the chief part of the inhabit- 
ants neither being able to read nor write. The 
border districts, though better supplied with vil- 
lage schools, have none of a higher class ; for as 
the men are trained solely for the military profes- 
sion, they are not allowed to learn anything beyond 
the narrow compass of their oppressive duty. 

As we have stated, the Croatian, Sclavonian, and 
Serbian borders are divided into eleven military 
districts, each of them furnishing one infantry 
regiment of four battalions, or three thousand one 
hundred men. As, however, every man is by birth 
a soldier, and must serve as long as he can bear 
arms, the number of battalions can easily be aug- 
mented. 

So large a number of armed men, led as they 
are by their own native Generals, several of whom 
have gained at least Austrian renown, looks for- 
midable enough upon paper ; but loses much in the 
reality, like many other things in Austria bearing 
a grand name and an imposing appearance. It is 
a well-known fact that military training alone 
does not instil true martial spirit, and far less 
heroic devotion. Where there is no nobler motive 
power than pay or at most the prospect of plun- 
der, the soldiers may be driven into battle and 
kept together as long as their arms are victorious ; 
yet the first reverse demoralizes them, and they 



FEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 301 

rapidly succumb to the hardships of war. Such is 
the case, at least, with the Austrian Grenzers. 
They do well enough as cordonists against smug- 
glers or Turkish depredators ; yet in their present 
condition they can never gain fame in a regular 
battle. Even in the Austrian army they are 
looked upon as a body far below the common 
standard. As an illustration of this, we will quote 
one or two striking examples from modern history. 
In September, 1848, Jellachich, Ban of Croatia, 
invaded Hungary with an army of fifty thousand 
Croats. This he did at a moment when the Hun- 
garian nation still confided in the solemn oaths of 
their king, and were thus unprepared to meet a 
hostile aggression. Jellachich, aware of this, has- 
tened by forced marches towards Buda-Pesth, in 
order at one blow to crush the liberty of the 
country. There was every prospect of a speedy 
victory ; for who would dare to oppose the formid- 
able legions that had already conquered the peace- 
ful inhabitants of several counties, and, like their 
forefathers the Trenck-Pandurs, filled their knap- 
sacks with spoil ? Yet, contrary to all expecta- 
tion, a few miles from the Capital a corps of fifteen 
thousand men — a medley of soldiers, citizens, na- 
tional guards, ministers and members of the Diet — 
awaited the invaders in battle array, determined to 
face and to fight them. The Ban with his over- 

D D 



302 EUEAL AND HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

whelming force could easily have crushed such a 
handful of men ; sucli at least was the general im- 
pression. But it turned out quite the contrary ; 
since as soon as the Croats heard the Hungarian 
bullets whizzing about their heads, they at once 
remembered that the better part of valour is dis- 
cretion. Accordingly, after a short cannonade, 
they turned and fled ; never looking back until they 
were safe under the walls of Vienna. This move- 
ment of Jellachich is immortalized in the Austrian 
annals as " The Ban's famous flank-manoeuvre ! " 

The reserve corps of Jellachich, amounting to 
ten thousand men with twelve guns, which advanced 
along the Lake of Balaton a two days' journey 
behind the main army, was doomed to a still more 
ignominious defeat. At the tidings of the Ban's 
flight, the corps presently fell back towards Croatia. 
But the population, exasperated by the excesses 
the enemy had committed during their advance, 
had already risen en masse, gradually hemming them 
in on all sides, until there remained no chance of 
escape. In this emergency the Croats, instead of 
showing the muzzles of their guns, showed the 
white feather, and surrendered at the mercy of the 
people without having fired a single shot. The 
Hungarians, however, generous as usual in suc- 
cess, instead of treating the depredators as they de- 
served, regaled them with meat and wine and after 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 303 

taking their oath that they would never again bear 
arms against the mother- country, sent them back 
with an escort to their homes. 

The campaign in the spring and summer of 
1849, proved not less disastrous to the Ban and 
his Croats. One of his brigades was annihilated by 
Damjanich at Szolnok on the fifth of March ; 
another met a similar fate at Tapio-Bicske on the 
fourth of April; and on the sixth of the same 
month he at the head of his corps was defeated 
by Klapka and Damjanich. Such repeated re- 
verses induced the Ban to fall back upon his re- 
sources in Croatia ; from whence he re-appeared 
in Midsummer at the head of twenty thousand 
veterans, and commenced an advance upon Pesth 
between the Theiss and the Danube. Unfor- 
tunately, at Hegyes he encountered an Hungarian 
force of some eight thousand men under the 
Generals Vetter and Gruyon, who gave him such a 
warm reception that he retreated, with a severe 
loss of men and guns, in one forced march behind 
the Danube, a distance of about fifty miles. 

The Grenzers are all foot-soldiers, being quite 
unfit for cavalry service. During the above-named 
campaign the Austrians having no hussars at 
their disposal, made an attempt to organise a regi- 
ment of them in Croatia. They so far succeeded 
that eight hundred horses were equipped and 



304 ETTBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

mounted by as many men, who were called the 
Banderial Hussars. The new cavalry were to gain 
their first laurels in the battle of Tapio-Bicske . 
"When, on that day, the genuine hussars of Klapka 
were told whom they had to attack, they sheathed 
their swords, exclaiming, that they could put such 
scarecrows of troopers to flight with their fists. 
At the ensuing onset two squadrons of the 1st 
Hussars did literally disperse eight escadrons of 
Croats. The prisoners taken in that dashing ex- 
ploit were conducted as great curiosities through 
the Hungarian camp, and the horsemen from the 
Theiss and the Puszta could not comprehend the 
impudence of a Grrenzer daring to mount a steed in 
hussar attire. 

After this defeat the Croatian hussars entirely 
disappeared from the scene of action. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 305 



CHAPTER XIV. 

THE SERBIANS. 

Almost every page in Hungary's history, where 
mention is made of the Serbians, contains an ac- 
count of the ingratitude, hatred and cruelty which 
they practised towards their adoptive country; the 
records assuming the darkest hues when we arrive 
at the period of their rebellion in 1848. No won- 
der that the Hungarians gave them the surname of 
" savages ;" no parasite plant ever having promoted 
the destruction of the stem which afforded it sup- 
port with more insidious perseverance, than did 
the Serbians by aiding every attempt of the foes 
of Hungary to destroy the vital force of the land, 
that in time of need so readily granted them a 
hospitable refuge, as well as political and religious 
liberties. 

We find, as early as the fifteenth century, re- 
cords of Serbian communities in Sclavonia, bearing 
the name of Shokaczs, and living promiscuously 
with the Croats, whose customs and religion they 

dd2 



306 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

generally adopted. The mass of those Serbians, 
however, who dwell on the Austrian side of the 
Save and Lower Danube, and from the time of 
their settlement there up to the present day have 
made themselves so conspicuous by their turbu- 
lence, fanaticism, and constant intercourse with 
their countrymen on Turkish territory, immi- 
grated as late as the end of the seventeenth cen- 
tury, during the reign of Leopold I. They are 
the descendants of those fierce orthodox Serbians 
and Bosnians, who, owing to religious and political 
persecution, resolved to leave their home, and co- 
lonise the southern borders of the adjoining coun- 
try, which, having been laid waste during the 
protracted struggle with Turkey, were offered to 
their envoys on condition that they should defend 
them against the inroads of the common enemy. 
The first troop of emigrants, led by their patriarch 
Arsenius and numbering 40,000 families, crossed 
the Danube in the year 16S8. At the news of 
their happy arrival and settlement other bands 
followed at different times ; so that the total num- 
ber of the Serbian population along the borders 
now amounts to about 800,000. 

The district they inhabit is a continuation of 
the great Hungarian plain, JPuszta, which, 
bounded on the west by the Lower Danube, and 
on the east by the Transylvanian Alps, forms the 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 307 

most fertile part of that country, and is known 
under the names of Bacska, Banat, and Syrmium. 

During a journey across the Puszta the traveller 
has ample opportunity of observing the surpassing 
fertility of the land. The soil is a rich black loam, 
which, though but once tilled before it is sown, 
nevertheless year after year yields the most abun- 
dant produce. The crops scarcely ever fail; on 
the contrary it sometimes happens that the finest 
wheat is left lying upon the fields, owing to the 
want of hands and markets. The richness of the 
ground renders manuring superfluous ; indeed in- 
jurious. The mildness of the climate promotes 
luxuriant vegetation; so that with the exception 
of oranges and olives most southern products 
flourish. Maize stalks reach the height of a 
man on horseback, the wheat bends to the ground 
under its own weight, and the melons are famed 
for flavour and size. The cultivated tracts are 
surrounded by extensive pastures, upon which 
numberless herds of half- wild cattle roam through- 
out the year. The intervening lakes and morasses 
are the resort of myriads of wild fowl, pelicans, 
herons, &c, which, when disturbed, rise in im- 
mense flocks into the air, and like a cloud darken 
for a moment the light of the sun. Thither herds 
of hogs and buffaloes repair in summer, and find 
ample food and water. The former in particular 



308 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

are usually accompanied in their journeyings by a 
number of crows, who pick their food from their 
backs, and live on the best possible terms with 
their grunting steeds. 

Surrounded by nature's bounties, the Serbians 
live mingled with Hungarians and Germans in 
their scattered and populous villages, some of 
them containing nearly 20,000 inhabitants. As 
there is land in abundance, a village is spread over 
a large tract, and produces on approach a dreary 
impression from the great want of foliage. The 
streets are unpaved and immensely wide, skirted 
by deep one-storied cottages, built of raw bricks 
and thatched with reeds or straw, with the gable 
end towards the street. Beneath the two front 
windows is usually a rustic seat, shaded by a soli- 
tary tree, and before this stands the dunghill, the 
ordinary indication of a Serbian dwelling. A cot- 
tage of this description is inhabited by a single 
family, and contains two dwelling rooms, divided 
by the kitchen. Beyond this come the larder, 
dairy, stables and the various out-buildings for 
agricultural use ; the whole inclosed by a spacious 
yard and garden. The gable end of almost every 
house is surmounted by a stork's nest, who there 
breed their progeny. Though these birds migrate 
in the autumn, they or their posterity invariably 
return to their nests, which they hold as an here- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 309 

ditary possession as long as a single member of 
their family remains. We will imagine that the 
Grospodar or master of the house has just returned 
from the field in his cart to which two fleet horses 
are attached ; or in his heavy waggon drawn by a 
team of six oxen. "Whilst his boys surround the 
vehicle and unharness the animals, the Grospodar 
welcomes us as his guests ; hospitality being one 
of the domestic virtues of the dwellers on the 
Puszta. We accept the friendly bidding and fol- 
low him to the kitchen, which serves also for a 
hall. It is well supplied with copper and earthen- 
ware utensils, and contains a large raised hearth 
upon which all the cooking is done, and above 
which, in the lofty chimney, are seen sides of pork 
suspended for smoking. The whitewashed walls 
of the dwelling-rooms are hung with a goodly 
array of pots, and with gaudy-coloured woodcuts 
or pictures upon glass, representations of the 
Saints most worshipped in the Greek church, as 
Nicholas, Basyl, Greorge, also the Holy Virgin, 
and the archangel Michael. Near these paint- 
ings there is a bedstead, piled up to the ceiling 
with feather beds. In a corner stands a stove of 
considerable size, and opposite to it a heavy oaken 
table, on which the covered loaf and salt always 
stand ready to be placed before the guest, with a 
jug of wine or a bottle of brandy. 



310 RUEAL AND niSTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

In Hungary the Serbians are known under the 
name of Kaczok. They, however, call themselves 
Shokaczs and Illyrians ; the former belonging to the 
Eoman Catholic, and the latter to the Greek 
Church. The Illyrians inhabit the Banat and 
Bacska ; and the Shokaczs Syrmium as well as the 
military borders amongst the Croats. Though of 
the same origin and speaking the same language, 
the difference in their religion has variously af- 
fected the character and habits of the Serbians, 
and drawn a strong line of demarcation between 
them. Long subjection under the Turkish 
yoke has made the Greek Serbian fanatical, 
suspicious and vindictive. He hates every other 
race, every other faith ; and though he has a na- 
tural predilection for freedom and independence, 
still, from ignorance and bigotry, he is the willing 
slave of his priest, who alike uneducated becomes 
in his turn a tool in the hand of the first skilful 
intriguer. The Catholic Serbians are more gentle 
and conciliating. Their priests, too, as is the case 
among the Homish clergy in Hungary, are more 
enlightened and tolerant. A Greek priest has 
seldom more knowledge than that acquired in 
some miserable village or cloister school ; yet he 
exercises boundless influence over his flock. His 
income is derived chiefly from the voluntary con- 
tributions of his community, and from the produce 



FEOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 311 

of a few acres of land, which he tills with his own 
hands; also from the sale of holy pictures and 
relics, used as charms against illness and evil spi- 
rits. The monks and higher dignitaries of the 
Greek Church are condemned to celibacy, but the 
village priest is permitted to marry once. The 
consequence of such a restriction is, that the 
latter, particularly when he is fond of his wife, 
does all in his power to make her as happy and con- 
tented as possible and to guard her from any ail- 
ment which might endanger her precious life ; and 
of course often pays a heavy penalty in the whims 
and caprices of his spoiled helpmate. The primate of 
Moscow is also the primate of the Serbians, and the 
Emperor of Eussia the acknowledged head of their 
church, and the representative of the Almighty on 
earth. In all their prayers the Emperor Nicholas 
takes precedence of their own sovereign, and they 
look to Eussia as their deliverer from some evil 
existing only in their own unenlightened brains. 

Their language is a Sclavonian dialect resem- 
bling the Eussian. But here again a difference so 
far exists between the two sects, that, while the 
Greeks retain the Eussian, the Catholics use the 
Latin characters. So it is with their dress. The 
latter have adopted the Croat habiliments; with 
the former the costume of their mountain homes 
still predominates, the men wearing fine white 



312 ET7EAL AKD HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

calico shirts and drawers, short jackets, flat broad- 
brimmed hats or high fur caps and a sheepskin 
thrown over then" shoulders. 

The Serbians are tall, slight and well made, 
with dark complexions, the result of climate rather 
than a characteristic of their race ; for blue eyes 
are frequently to be seen amongst them. The men 
wear long hair and moustaches, their features are 
regular, but with a somewhat suspicious and sinis- 
ter expression. In advanced life they become 
emaciated from frequent fastings and from the too 
free use of brandy, Rakie. The Serbians are na- 
turally idle, and this disposition is materially pro- 
moted alike by the ease with which they gain their 
living as by their religious observances. Their 
holidays form a third part of the year, during 
which time they dare not labour, unless upon the 
fields of their priests, whereby they are taught to 
believe they are working for their salvation. 
The women are handsome, and delight in decking 
themselves in silks and finery of all descriptions. 
Their caps are thickly ornamented with gold tinsel 
over which a veil is thrown. Like the Croatian 
women they use paint from an early age, and 
adorn their ears with rings, and their necks with 
rows of coral beads. Bright colours are most ad- 
mired ; even their boots and shoes are often made 
of red or yellow leather. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 313 

Among their superstitious customs, homage 
to the genius of Spring, though savouring of 
paganism, evinces a spirit of poetry. On St. 
George's eve the girls of a village, dressed in their 
best clothes, collect the sweetest field flowers and 
wander forth in troops to the nearest river or lake, 
into which they throw their offering amidst sing- 
ing, dancing and merry-making. Their favourite 
music is produced by the G-usla, a one-stringed 
instrument resembling the guitar. It is an in- 
heritance from their native country, and with it 
they accompany their monotonous songs. 

Brought up in profound ignorance and influ- 
enced by so many prejudices, their imagination is 
of course perpetually beset by witches and ghosts, 
who play a prominent and certainly a very mis- 
chievous part, even in their most trivial occupa- 
tions. At the head of their evil spirits stands the 
Vampyre, an active and destructive monster, with- 
out any defined shape, but nevertheless universally 
acknowledged and dreaded. According to their 
belief the Yampyre rises from the corpses of those 
who have died excommunicate, or who, owing to 
their ill conduct through life, are supposed to have 
descended to the nether regions. To the spirits of 
such persons the Serbians attribute supernatural 
power over the living, whom they are said to be 
able to visit and torment at pleasure. The Vam- 

E e 



314 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

pyre comes forth from its grave at midnight, and 
glides through the keyhole into the room of 
the sleeper, whose blood it gradually sucks out. 
The victim ere long expires and in turn becomes 
a Yampyre, carrying on after death the same ter- 
rible practice. "Whenever one or two sudden 
deaths occur, they are ascribed to a nocturnal 
visitor of this kind, and the inhabitants at once 
resort to the most efficacious means for putting a 
stop to their pernicious traffic. As a community 
is seldom without some member who bears an evil 
reputation to his grave, the finger of the public 
points to him as the cause of the calamity, and the 
people sometimes led by the priest and magistrate 
betake themselves to the cemetery, to subject the 
suspected corpse to a lynch law process. The 
grave is opened, its occupier again brought to the 
light of day, and on the priest's granting a formal 
absolution of his sins, the corpse, at the command 
of the magistrate, is fixed to the coffin by a stake, 
to prevent it from again rising ; and in some cases 
when the efficacy of the stake is doubted, the body 
is burned and the ashes scattered to the winds. 

Next to the Yampyres rank the witches. Al- 
though represented here, as everywhere, in the 
harmless form of a decrepit old woman, they like- 
wise are supposed to be invested with superhuman 
powers and are made responsible for all the petty 



FKOM EASTEKtf EXJEOPE. 315 

accidents of daily life, that befal either man or 
beast. It is believed that the devil lends them his 
powerful aid during life, and in consideration of 
his services carries them off after a fixed period 
amidst a storm of hail and thunder. This invisible 
abduction always happens before the corpse reaches 
consecrated ground. As an illustration thereof 
we may here relate the following anecdote : A few 
years since an aged woman, suspected of witch- 
craft, died in one of the Serbian villages. In 
opposition to strong public feeling the last rites 
of religion had been performed, and the coffin was 
borne towards its resting-place followed by a con- 
course of her neighbours. The procession set out 
under a cloudless sky, but as it approached the 
cemetery all at once a furious storm broke forth. 
The coffin was abandoned, and the attendants ran 
right and left in search of shelter from the violence 
of the tempest. In a short time the weather 
cleared up and the funeral train was again about 
to proceed, when on lifting up the coffin the men 
declared that it felt empty. Suspecting some 
mischief they opened it, and lo! instead of the 
corpse there lay nought save an old broom. 

As the Serbians never constituted a distinct politi- 
cal body, their communities are comprised in those 
of the counties, where they dwell promiscuously 
with other races, and share equally in their rights 



316 E'JEAL A!S T D HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

and burdens. That district which forms a portion 
of the southern military borders, and includes 
about two thirds of the Serbian population, is 
under the command of a military Eoard and is 
divided into four regimental districts of foot, each 
mustering four battalions of 800 men, and one 
battalion of Czaikists or boatmen of the Danube. 

The Serbians possess a decided warlike spirit, 
which, kept within proper bounds, is capable of great 
things. But their ferocious and lawless propensi- 
ties greatly diminish their worth as allies, and as 
adversaries render them more troublesome than 
dangerous. *Like the Croatian borderers, they are, 
notwithstanding their courage, less fitted for a 
lengthened combat in line than for the defence of 
entrenchments and villages. But most of all are 
they adapted for surprises and razzias, whereby 
momentary and individual valour may turn the 
fate of the day in their favour. In war they know 
no mercy, and perpetrate atrocities and excesses 
of the wildest kind. Of this the inhabitants of 
Hungary have had many fearful proofs. Scarcely 
had the Serbians settled down in their new home, 
than in the third year of the eighteenth century 
they were summoned by the Emperor of Austria to 
muster all their available forces against the Hun- 
garians, who under the guidance of Prince Rakoczi 
had risen to defend their constitutional independ- 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 317 

ence against the liberticidal attempts of their 
Austrian sovereigns. It is true the Serbians had 
only bound themselves to fight the Turks ; but the 
occasion was too enticing for them to allow it to 
escape, though at the expense of their hosts. A 
prospect of rich booty far outweighed the dictates 
of honour and gratitude, and they set out in large 
numbers, marching between the Theiss and Danube 
and extending their incursions as far as the Car- 
pathians. They carried on a warfare like that 
which they had been wont to wage against their 
former masters the Turks ; that is to say with fire 
and sword. Wherever their terrible bands passed 
there every trace of life and of civilisation disap- 
peared. Thus they went on plundering and mur- 
dering during the whole of the Hungarian war of 
Independence, from 1703 till 1709. The witnesses 
to these unheard-of cruelties learnt to speak of the 
Serbians with a shudder, and bestowed upon them 
the cognomen of " savages," which afterwards be- 
came proverbial. As long as their bands could be 
of any use Austria flattered their vanity, and kept 
their hopes of independence alive by glowing pro- 
mises. No sooner, however, was peace restored, 
than the promises were forgotten, and under Maria 
Theresa, who would gladly have seen in each of 
her subjects either a monk or a nun, the Greek 
Serbians were compelled to adopt the Eomish faith. 

e E 2 



318 ETTRAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

The consequence of this forcible attempt at pro- 
selytism was a general rising, which was suppressed 
first by the sword and then by the execution of 
hundreds of their chiefs, the most orthodox being 
compelled to leave the country. Several thousand 
families wandered to Russia, where they were fa- 
vourably received and afterwards formed a colony 
called New Servia. Seeing how their services to 
Austria had been remunerated, and how little 
chance they had of realizing their ambitious de- 
signs on that score, the Serbians struck into an 
opposite course, and in the year 1790 petitioned 
the Hungarian Diet as to their definitive fusion with 
Hungary. The Diet forgetting past wrongs, made 
the greatest efforts to free all their tribes from the 
military rule of Austria; but succeeded only in 
favour of a third part who were incorporated with 
the counties they lived in. 

The experience of a constitutional existence soon 
convinced at least the more intelligent among 
them, that their interests were closely blended 
with those of the other races in Hungary, and 
that, by promoting the welfare of the latter, they 
would also advance their own. Time went on and 
at length the memorable year 1848 arrived. In 
the first glow of enthusiasm the aristocratic Diet, 
with one single stroke, razed to the ground all the 
feudal barriers that were represented as obstructive 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 31^ 

to general prosperity and civilisation, abolishing 
the tithes and all seignorial rights ; introducing an 
uniform taxation, trials by jury, &c, whereby 
thousands of nobles despoiled themselves in order 
to enrich millions of the peasantry. Never was 
the full meaning of the words, Liberty, Equality, 
and Fraternity, more nobly and practically carried 
out ! All these results were gained without com- 
pulsion or ill-will. It now remained to reap 
the benefit of them. Yet the very contrary hap- 
pened. 

The dynasty, terrified at the sight of such radical 
reforms, and anxious and determined not to allow 
their firm establishment, threw the apple of discord 
amongst the various races by persuading them, and 
more particularly the Serbian priesthood and several 
of their leaders, that the moment for realising their 
favourite project of forming an independent Serbian 
state had at length arrived. The populace, easily 
misled and fanaticised, gathered in large meetings 
and demanded, together with the Croats, an entire 
separation from Hungary, alleging that the Ma- 
gyars wanted to suppress theirreligion and language. 
The mild remonstrances of the Hungarian Ministry 
were of no avail ; on the contrary rather hastened 
the outbreak of the crisis. On Easter Monday, 
1848, a Serbian mob unfurled the flag of rebellion 
against the constitution, and commenced a civil 



320 ETJEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

war by exacting a division of property on commu- 
nistical principles, and then by the slaughter of 
the Hungarian and Grerman magistrates and the 
nobles. The fire long and cleverly kindled, spread 
rapidly over several of the southern counties and 
the borders. With the tacit consent of Austria, 
whole battalions of borderers as well as bands of 
freebooters from Servia Proper, swelled the number 
of the rebels. The southern boundary of Hun- 
gary by degrees became the arena of the most fear- 
ful carnage and depredation, carried on almost with 
impunity, owing to the secret understanding of 
the Austrian Generals who at the commencement 
commanded the Honveds and National Guards sent 
to re-establish order. Hence the Serbians were 
enabled to convert their villages into entrenched 
camps, from whence they carried on a desultory 
warfare, raising their armed force to 40,000, com- 
manded by their national generals Theodorovics 
and Knicsanin. 

Eut in spite of their numerical superiority, they 
were incapable of coping with their adversaries, 
the Honveds. During the following spring of 1849, 
they were conquered both in the field and in their 
entrenchments, and their rebellion completely up- 
rooted. 

Of their martial prowess the Serbians often gave 
surprising proofs. They were particularly skilful 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 321 

in surprises. Prom their inaptitude as horsemen, 
they carried on their predatory expeditions in light 
carts, usually occupied by four armed men, and 
drawn by two small but agile horses. The level 
character of the country greatly favoured this kind 
of warfare, and they soon brought it to such per- 
fection that hundreds of vehicles manoeuvred toge- 
ther, without ever getting entangled in their rapid 
evolutions. Thus the Serbians appeared and dis- 
appeared on some exposed point ere the Hussars, 
of whom they were in great awe, could come up to 
them. Once, however, overtaken and seeing no 
hope of retreat, they fairly stood at bay, often fight- 
ing bravely to the last man. 

An account of one of their most terrible and best- 
planned surprises during the entire war will give a 
tolerable idea of the manner in which the Serbians 
carried on the contest. 

Towards the middle of December, 1848, having 
stormed several of the entrenched camps of the 
Serbians, the Hungarian General Damjauich re- 
solved to attack Tomassovatz, where their chief 
force was concentrated. The night previous to the 
contemplated attack, Damjanich took up his quar- 
ters with his division, consisting of four battalions, 
six escadrons and sixteen guns, in the widely-spread 
and populous village of Jarkovatz, about ten miles 
distant from Tomassovatz. The inhabitants, prin- 



322 KITBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

cipally Serbians, hearing of the approach of the re- 
doubted Hungarian chief, set out in procession 
with flags of truce to implore his mercy, and were 
not only pardoned for their participation in the 
rebellion, but, having taken the oath of allegiance 
to the constitution, the Honveds cordially frater- 
nised with them, and joined in the entertainments 
got up in commemoration of their brotherly union 
~bj the villagers, in whose houses they were quartered 
in numbers from eight to ten.- Lulled into a feeling 
of safety by such true Hungarian hospitality, the 
troops gave themselves up to the enjoyment of the 
moment, little dreaming that they were surrounded 
by an implacable enemy, that a dagger lurked be- 
hind every friendly word, every smiling glance. 
Night fell amidst rejoicings and merry-making, a 
foggy, dark, winter night, under the impenetrable 
cover of which a fearful attack was gradually orga- 
nised by the Serbians. Their most valiant corps, 
till then in Tomassovatz, evacuated that place at 
the approach of the Hungarians, and advanced at 
dusk into the vicinity of Jarkovatz. From thence 
they detached a battalion of borderers, who, fa- 
voured by the darkness, stole into the village in 
small bands, where they were concealed by the in- 
habitants in cellars and barns. The feasting lasted 
until midnight. The Honveds, overcome by wine 
and fatigue, went to sleep, many of them never 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 323 

again to awake. Of the whole division there were, 
besides the few outposts, only two companies under 
arms on guard near the guns stationed in the mid- 
dle of the village. 

About two hours after midnight, when the 
carousing had entirely ceased, all at once the dis- 
charge of musketry resounded from the outposts, 
followed by a short lull, not unlike that which pre- 
cedes the outbreak of a hurricane. Then, as if 
that discharge had caused the explosion of a mine 
of gigantic force and dimensions, the deathlike 
stillness that hung over the village changed into the 
wildest uproar. Scarcely had the attack of the 
Serbian army commenced on the outskirts than 
their comrades in Jarkovatz as well as the inhabit- 
ants, who were impatiently awaiting for that signal, 
fell upon their sleeping guests, slaying all who 
came singly within reach of their knives. This 
mute massacre lasted but a few moments. The 
Honveds, though completely taken by surprise, 
nevertheless undauntedly seized their muskets, 
broke through the ranks of the assailants, and made 
good their retreat into the streets, where a scene 
of indescribable excitement and confusion ensued. 
There in the narrow, winding, mazy thoroughfares 
and lanes, the stream of fugitive Honveds, Hussars, 
guns and carts collected into a vast chaotic mass, 
driven to and fro by the pressure of the increasing 



324 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

tide, were encompassed by a hundredfold death 
showered upon them from windows, walls, fences, 
in a word, from every side, by the hand of an in- 
visible foe, against whom they could see no means 
of defending themselves. 

The Serbians, on the contrary, took every op- 
portunity of making the most of their overwhelm- 
ing forces and superior position. As many of them 
spoke Hungarian, they used it to allure the Honveds 
into ambuscades. From various points they called 
out for aid in that language, and when the latter 
rushed to the rescue of their supposed comrades, they 
were received by a volley, which, of course, greatly 
added to their bewilderment, and led to the natural 
result that in the utter darkness, lighted up only 
by the flashes of the guns, they frequently mistook 
a fresh arrival of their own troops for those of the 
enemy, and fired on them, which being duly re- 
turned, did not tend to diminish the confusion. 
Moreover the deafening noise proceeding from 
this terrible scene of tumult and carnage drowned 
even the words of command, and frustrated all at- 
tempts of the officers to restore something like 
order in the ranks. The contest at every step as- 
sumed a more desperate character. The destruc- 
tion of the entire corps seemed inevitable. To 
render their situation still further hopeless, the 
main body of the Serbians, under the command of 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 325 

Knicsanin, their ablest leader, after a short fight 
drove back the Hungarian outposts, entered 
the village, and with their guns occupied the 
outlets and a bridge over the river which 
flowed behind Jarkovatz in the rear of the Hun- 
garians, whose only line of retreat was thus cut 
off. Fortunately, it was not the first occasion on 
which the corps had withstood a night attack, al- 
though not of such magnitude ; and the Honveds 
of Damjanich especially, were already veterans in 
that description of warfare. Thus, when the first 
surprise was fairly over, the soldiers halted in their 
disorderly flight, and flocked manfully around their 
officers, amongst whom the most conspicuous, from 
his athletic figure and superhuman energy, was 
Damjanich, their beloved commander, who at the 
first alarm had hastened into the midst of that for- 
midable struggle, rallying and encouraging his men 
to hold out to the last. His presence had the 
usual electric effect. By the light of some houses 
fired by the enemy's grenades, he collected several 
companies, and led them on the right and left to 
the charge, himself breaking a path with the bayonet 
through the thick ranks of the Serbians. During 
this tumult, a furious and sanguinary struggle 
hand to hand raged in the houses and streets ; for 
though a great part of the Honveds had made good 
their retreat by clearing the streets and storming 

F F 



326 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

the bridge, there still remained many scattered 
troops in the village, who, cut off from the army, 
fought fiercely for their lives. 

After a contest of several hours it was evident that 
the enemy, disappointed at the ill success of his 
surprise, began to give way before the indomitable 
courage of the 3rd battalion and the Ked-caps. # 

At length morning dawned, and Damjanich was 
enabled to reconnoitre, and to muster his scattered 
forces. He then proceeded to the entire clearing 
of Jarkovatz, and to the pursuit of the Serbians, part 
of whom were seen flying towards the Danube. 

At the end of the war the Serbians expecting an 
adequate reward for their enormous sacrifices in 
aiding to preserve the dynasty, solicited the fulfil- 
ment of the promises made to them by the latter. 
Great must their mortification and rage have been 
on finding themselves paid precisely in the same 
manner and with the same coin as were their an- 
cestors ! And when they began impetuously to 
press their claims, their leaders, who had worked 
the most zealously for the Hapsburgs, were ar- 
rested and either thrown into prison or exiled. 

* The ninth battalion wore a red cap as a mark of dis- 
tinction for their indomitable valour. Of all the Hungarian 
troops they were the most dreaded by the Serbians; the 
sight of them alone sufficing to put the bravest bands of the 
latter to flight. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 327 

The district was placed under martial law ; the 
Serbian colours, white and red, prohibited ; the 
newspapers suppressed, and in their public trans- 
actions as well as in the village schools, the Ger- 
man language introduced. As a recognition for 
their treachery to the cause of liberty, Austria 
united the three counties, where the Serbians are 
most numerous, into a district, calling it the Voj- 
vodina ; taking care, however, to appoint a General 
at the head with the full power of administering 
the only reward of despotism, martial law, instead 
of the repudiated constitution of 1848. 

Too late did the misguided people awake to a 
sense of their suicidal proceedings. They had cut 
the. tree not only under the Hungarians, but also 
under themselves, and now writhe under the iron 
heels of their trusty confederates, the Austrians. 



328 EXJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER XT. 

THE HTTNGAEIAN GIPSIES. 

Among the arteries, wherein the national life of 
Hungary circulates, the microscopic eye may dis- 
cern a minute vein, that by its pallid hue and di- 
verging course leaves the observer in doubt as to 
the real cause and utility of its existence. In this 
isolated channel the remnant of the voluntary 
Pariahs of Hungary — the Gipsies — moves slowly 
onwards to final extinction. 

On inquiring into the means by which this 
handful of people have maintained themselves for 
centuries as a distinct race, we find it is owing to 
their incoDquerable antipathy to any fixed abode 
and intermixture with other nations. It would 
appear, as though the unseen power that once 
scattered their tribes, had condemned them to 
perpetual wandering, and quenched in the core 
every germ of mental development, so restlessly 
have the Gipsies roamed over the earth during the 
memory of man, evincing no inclination for culture, 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 329 

regardless of the morrow, without a remembrance 
of yesterday, guided in their joyless and dreary 
path by their uncontrolled instincts and the im- 
pulse of the moment. 

No age, no climate, no example, has exercised 
any influence on this infatuated race. "Whether 
amongst nations refined or uncultivated, idle or in- 
dustrious, they remain the same thoughtless and 
indolent nomades, clinging pertinaciously to their 
ancient customs. 

Both persecution and well-meant attempts to 
civilise have only served to strengthen them in 
their old and perverse habits. Towards the end of 
the eighteenth century, considerable efforts were 
made by Maria Theresa and Joseph II. to accustom 
the Gipsies to a regular mode of life. Hundreds 
of families were collected, lands with agricultural 
implements gratuitously distributed among them, 
and they were made to work under the inspection 
of the authorities. But they felt utterly miserable 
in their new position, and decamped at the first 
opportunity, either leaving the country entirely, or 
hiding themselves in the forests until the danger of 
civilisation had passed. Attempts of a different 
kind produced equally unfavourable results. In 
two or three counties the children were forcibly 
carried off from their parents and sent to distant 
places, where they were educated at the expense 

f f 2 



330 EUEAL AND IIISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

of government for agricultural pursuits. They, 
however, fondly preserved the memory of the 
haunts of their childhood, and sooner or later 
joined some Gripsy band. Even children, who for 
years had distinguished themselves at school, were 
suddenly seized with a longing to be again on the 
wing, and ran away never to return. 

The first mention made of the Gipsies by the 
Hungarian historians was in the beginning of the 
fifteenth century, during the reign of King Sigis- 
mund. In the year 1417 bands of strangers ap- 
peared on the borders of Wallachia and Moldavia 
— then Hungarian provinces — to solicit admission 
into the interior of the realm. Their singular 
manners and appearance created much attention, 
and betokened them a migratory people, inasmuch 
as they were accompanied by their wives and chil- 
dren, and carried with them their goods and chat- 
tels. These strangers had tall, muscular figures, 
olive complexions, long black hair, dark fiery eyes 
and white teeth. The agility of their limbs they 
best displayed in their original dances. They wore 
garments of an oriental and fantastic make, dwelt 
under tents ; the men occupying themselves with 
the forge, music and dance, and the women chiefly 
with fortune-telling. They were led by chiefs, 
Vajdak, and called themselves Tscliingan^ or Czigdny, 
which name they retained in Hungary. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 331 

These bands formed the vanguard of those mi- 
gratory Hindoo tribes, about half a million of whom, 
driven from their home in Hindostan by that fear- 
ful scourge of mankind, Timurlan, had successively 
traversed Affghanistan, Asia Minor, and Thrace, 
and whose influx to Europe to this day has not 
ceased. Their language amongst each other, how- 
ever corrupted, bore, and still bears, an unmis- 
takeable affinity to the Hindostanee, the words of 
daily use sounding alike in both languages, from 
which their Indian descent may best be inferred. 

Access to the Hungarian provinces was readily 
granted to the Cziganys, who from thence spread 
over the other countries of Europe under the name 
of Egyptians. This name they assumed in order to 
make their descent mysterious, and the better to 
impose their soothsaying upon the credulity of 
people. In France only they are called Bohemians, 
from the first Gipsies who appeared there coming 
from Bohemia. 

King Sigismund of Hungary not only tolerated 
them, but shortly after their arrival, that is to say, 
in 1423, granted them a charter, in virtue of which 
they remained under the jurisdiction of their own 
Vajdak, and in every part of the land could lay claim 
to royal protection.* 

* One of the charters granted to the Gipsies at a later 
period, deserves for its originality to be quoted at full 



332 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

The whole of the scattered tribes had a chief 
Vajda, elected for life by the free choice of his 
people, and confirmed by the Palatine. In his 
person the chief Vajda enjoyed the privileges of a 
nobleman, and was the arbitrator in all important 
disputes. Every adult Gripsy had the right of 
voting, and all were eligible for chief Vajda, who 
had sprung from a family counting at least one 

length : — " We, George Count Thurzo, Palatine of Hungary, 
&c, to the prelates, barons, &c., greeting. 

" As the vultures of the air have their nests, the foxes their 
holes, the wolves their lurking places, the lions and bears their 
caves, and every animal its shelter, except the poor Egyptian 
people, called Czigany, who, according to their ancient cus- 
tom, are living in the open fields under tents, leading the 
hardest life, exposed, old and young, to rain, cold and heat, 
possessing lands neither in towns nor boroughs, unacquainted 
with ambition, getting their living and clothing by means of 
their handiwork as smiths, and being compelled to wander, 
not only throughout Hungary, but over the whole world, 
over sea and land, over rocks and through fire ; we, therefore, 
deem this people worthy of our mercy and kindness, and we 
beseech and command you that as often as any of this 
Egyptian race — particularly the bearer of this our letter, 
Ferencz Vajda, not the meanest of his tribe — appears with the 
Cziganys under his guidance, with their families, tents, anvils, 
bellows, hammers, tongs, and other properties, thus coming to 
your territories, to treat them honourably and courteously, 
and to permit them to pitch their tents in the suburbs or 
fields, to exercise their cunning as blacksmiths, and to protect 
their persons, as well as their property, against any violence 
and attack, which you will and must do. 

" Byche, February 20, 1617." 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 333 

among its ancestors, the preference being giyen to 
the one who, besides having attained a ripe age, bad 
a stately figure, possessed good clothes, and as 
much property as to enable him to regale his best 
friends. To his mental and moral qualifications 
little importance was attached. After bis election, 
the chief Vajda was lifted up three times on the 
arms of the bystanders ; the same honour was 
likewise conferred upon his wife, and from that 
moment he carried a whip on his shoulder, as an 
insignia of his office. Each head of a family was 
bound to pay the chief Vajda the yearly tribute of 
a shilling on St. George's day and at Michaelmas. 

The official form of a Gipsy oath in olden times 
ran thus : " As God drowned King Pharaoh in the 
Bed Sea, so may he let me sink into the depths of 
the earth, and may I be cursed, if I do not speak 
the truth. May I never succeed in a theft, in a 
barter, or any other business ; may my horse be 
transformed into an ass, and I die on the gallows." 
From this it would appear that pilfering with them 
was a tolerated means of gaining a subsistence; 
and the Vajda never punished a thief for his theft, 
but for his awkwarkness in allowing himself to be 
surprised in the act. 

Thus, while the Gipsies in other countries were 
subjected to every kind of persecution, in Hungary 
they enjoyed comparative freedom, and even a sort 



334 EURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

of constitution, which lasted till the end of the 
seventeenth century. 

We will now turn to a closer examination of the 
propensities and manners of the Hungarian Gripsy 
or Morre, as he is likewise called by the people. 

Despite his moral degradation, there are still a 
few bright spots in his character, whereon the eye 
lingers with interest, nay, even with pleasure. In 
describing the Gripsy metaphorically, we might 
liken him to a lonely, dilapidated hut, in a shel- 
tered nook of which a swallow had chanced to 
build its nest. Undismayed by the surrounding 
decay, the bird warbles forth its merry notes of 
self-content, investing the dreary spot with a ray 
of cheerful life. Thus Nature, in one of her pecu- 
liar caprices, has endowed the Gripsy with an in- 
exhaustible store of contentment and wit ; all his 
sayings and doings bear the impress of them ; so 
much so that, in the midst of misery and want, in 
spite of his wretched exterior, he may still call 
forth a feeling of mirth or commiseration, yet sel- 
dom one of disgust. These attributes form the 
bright background of his degraded and darkened 
existence, the shadows of which, as they pass across 
it, thus losing much of their gloom. As specimens 
of his love of making jokes, even from his own mis- 
fortune, we may give the following. A Gipsy on 
his way to the gallows said to the executioner, " Be 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 335 

so good as to hang me with my back towards the 
highroad, as I should feel extremely annoyed if 
any of my relations should chance to pass by and 
recognise me in that embarrassing position." An- 
other, after he had received severe chastisement a 
posteriori from a judicial cudgel, for some mischief 
he had committed, was asked how he felt after it ? 
""Why, perfectly comfortable," he replied, "for I 
make it a rule never to trouble myself with what 
happens behind my back." 

The shafts of the Gipsy's wit are generally aimed 
at himself, his timid nature not venturing, even in 
jest, to offend another. "When merry he is exceed- 
ingly loquacious and jocular, outdoing himself in 
punning, and keeping a whole company for hours 
on the laugh. However he may seem to submit to 
the contemptuous treatment of his superiors with 
an apparent good grace, still he is secretly revenge- 
ful, and his curses are truly terrible. There are 
instances where he is said to have excited people 
to madness by his musical skill. Tor this purpose 
he procures a lock of his victim's hair, mounts his 
fiddlestick with it, and plays to the object of his 
hatred, who, as if under the influence of a charm, 
must dance as long as the music continues. 

"Where he thinks himself a match, the Gipsy is 
overbearing and a great bully ; but if blows ensue, 
he is the first to take to his heels. Of his bravado 



336 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

and mock courage the following anecdote conveys 
a tolerable idea. A Morre, when travelling with 
his old mare on a very bad and muddy road, re- 
marked another cart approaching. He called to 
the driver from afar with threatening gestures, that 
if he did not make room for him, he would just see 
what he would do. The intimidated Jehu instantly 
pulled up. As the Gipsy triumphantly drove past, 
the other asked, "What would you have done 
if I had not got out of the way?" ""Why, you 
stupid fellow," replied the Morre, with a shrewd 
grin, and a nourishing of his whip, " in that case I 
should have made way for you." 

Although uncultivated and ignorant, the Morre is 
uncommonly cunning in business, and can scarcely 
be surpassed in inventing lies and subterfuges. 
Communistic propensities, as well as dislike to any 
regular occupation, are striking traits in his charac- 
ter ; but, more remarkable than all, is his decided 
aversion to stationary property, in which his race 
is a peculiar exception to the rest of mankind. 

His idea of God is connected with fear, for, as 
he says, God takes away his dearest possession — his 
life. Of a continuation of an existence in a happier 
state he has no conception. 

""When my Dade, father, died," he remarks, "he 
laid motionless ; he no longer cared for his Purdes, 
children, and though we offered him the best part 



FEOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 337 

of a piece of beef, his favourite dish, still he would 
not eat. Now, if the smell of fine roast beef would 
not awake him, so much the more improbable is it 
that he will wake up in a christian paradise, where 
there is nothing to afford pleasure to a Gipsy." 
Nor does he ever trouble his mind with religious 
scruples ; and to the forms of worship he is quite 
indifferent, turning Catholic when dwelling in a 
Catholic community, with the same unconcern as 
he turns Protestant or Mahometan when induced 
to do so by fear or profit. To this ready com- 
pliance it may be attributed that in Hungary no 
Gripsy has ever suffered persecution on account of 
his faith. 

For obvious reasons, the Gripsy has a great ob- 
jection to be watched in his proceedings, and there- 
fore always pitches his tent, or, if he is likely to 
remain for some time in one place, builds his hut 
at a distance from the towns and villages. The 
huts are partly dug into the earth and thatched 
with turf, leaving a hole in the roof for the smoke 
to escape. The contents of this miserable hovel 
consist solely of a couple of violins and the im- 
plements for forging ; and yet, as soon as the fire 
is kindled, and the kettle hung over it, the Gripsy, 
with his Gast, helpmate, and Purdes, feels per- 
fectly comfortable. There the Morre passes a part 
of his life in sleeping and smoking, exposed to want 



338 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

and the inclemency of the weather ; but bearing 
his privations with such a cheerful spirit, that he 
may truly be called a Diogenes, though without 
his lantern, as he searches not for men but for their 
goods, and in looking after the latter he needs no 
light. A Morre was once found sitting on the 
banks of the Theiss, supping the water from the river 
with a spoon. On being asked what he was about 
he gravely replied, " I am eating fish soup." " "Well, 
but where are the fish ? " "In the river," was the 
rejoinder. Another went into the market to buy 
something to satisfy his appetite, which was just 
then greater than his means. He therefore tried 
to get the cheapest and the largest quantity of 
eatables for his money. After a long search he 
purchased a bunch of horseradishes, and began 
greedily to chew the pungent roots. Tears soon 
streamed from his eyes upon the unpalatable food ; 
still he went on eating, only thus apostrophising 
his eyes : " Ay, you may weep on, it is all your 
fault ; why did you not look better after what you 
purchased ? " 

The Gipsy's food consists chiefly of meat and 
bread ; the latter hi3 wife prepares in the eastern 
fashion, in flat cakes baked in red-hot ashes. Ex- 
cept horses, all animals which have died a natural 
death are considered dainties. ""What is killed 
by God," he says, "is better than that killed by 



TltOM EASTEKN EUEOPE. 339 

men." Cattle destroyed by fire he prefers to all. 
As the vultures scent the presence of a carcass, as 
instinctively do the Gipsies discover in which vil- 
lage in the neighbourhood an animal lies dead. 
Such an event is hailed with ecstasy by them. 
Young and old hasten to the spot, each endeavour- 
ing to save the largest share for himself. They 
then boil and roast the meat, and feast during se- 
veral days ; whilst the rest is smoked or dried in 
the sun, and then eaten without farther prepara- 
tion. Their usual beverage is water ; and of spirits 
they give the preference to brandy. Both men and 
women are passionately fond of smoking, in the en- 
joyment of which they gladly renounce all nourish- 
ment. The pipe is only removed from their mouths 
to make way for rolls of tobacco ; and if no supply 
of this is at hand, they chew the other end of their 
wooden pipe-tubes. 

In their clothing they evince the same disregard 
of decency and indifference to the changes of cli- 
mate as in their other habits. The children are 
left to run about naked ; the adults of both sexes 
are dressed in rags and tatters and generally go 
with uncovered heads and bare feet. But their 
lively dispositions make up for all their material 
wants. A Gripsy running across a field in the 
most piercing cold, having only an old net for a 
covering, when asked if he were not almost frozen, 



340 ETJRAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

poked a finger through his airy garment, and al- 
though shivering, replied with perfect good tem- 
per — " Oh dear no, but I think it must be mighty- 
chill y outside." 

Another, strolling through a village on a rainy 
<lay in a pair of torn boots, was accosted by a 
passer-by, who suggested that his boots were much 
•too bad for such weather. " You are mistaken, 
sir," the Morre said proudly, "it is the weather 
that is too bad for my boots." 

The greatest predilection predominates among 
them for richly-braided and furred Hungarian 
clothes ; their taste in the selection of them is 
highly grotesque, the gayest colours being the most 
in demand. Old hussars, on their return home 
from service, are assailed by the brown troops, who 
play their sweetest airs to them, and offer all 
their treasures, in order to obtain the longed-for 
green coat, red trousers, blue furred-coat, and boots 
with spurs, in which they strut up and down the 
village with as important a mien as their chief 
Vajda was wont to do in better days. No sooner 
have they got into an Hungarian uniform than they 
feel inspired with warlike ardour, which otherwise 
they are not much troubled with, and which quickly 
evaporates at the sight of real danger. In the same 
proportion as they evince a predilection for the 
Hungarian attire, so they despise the Trench as 



FUG AT EASTERN EUROPE. 341 

well as the peasant dress, which they consider be- 
neath their dignity to wear. 

The want of food and other commodities of life 
has no influence on the Gipsies' health. In infancy, 
they learn to endure every sort of privation and 
neglect, and thus become hardened against illness. 
Cripples are seldom seen amongst them ; they are 
generally blessed with sound limbs and muscular 
frames. 

An extraordinary attachment to life renders the 
G-ipsy timid, so much so, that his cowardice has 
become proverbial. As he possesses nothing but 
his life, he says he must preserve it by every 
means, and thus never resorts to suicide. Still, in 
illness he does not seek medical aid ; saffron, taken 
in soup, bleeding or cupping, being the only reme- 
dies he uses ; the rest is left to nature. 

No Jew ever abhorred fire-arms more than the 
JKorre does ; therefore his services as a soldier are 
of no value. In that capacity alone he loses his 
gaiety, and becomes a misanthrope. His despair 
is graphically pictured in the following laconic let- 
ter, which a Gripsy recruit sent to his mother. As 
he could not write, he requested a comrade to 
indite a letter for him. "AVrite to her," he said, 
" ' woe ; ' — again, ' woe,' — and a third time, ' woe,' 
even to the soul of my grandmother ! Not a word 
more ; my mother will understand me perfectly." 

G 62 



342 BUBAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

History has only one fact on record, where the 
3£orre, musket in hand, faced the enemy. This 
happened in the middle of the seventeenth cen- 
tury, when an Hungarian commander, in want 
of better troops, intrusted the Gipsies of Nagy- 
Ida with the defence of an intrench tnent near 
Kassa. The affair, as usual with the GHpsy, took 
a comic turn, but unfortunately terminated in a 
tragedy. 

On the commander's assuring the brown war- 
riors that no enemy's balls would hit them in the 
front, they not only courageously met the attack, but 
repelled the Austrians after a fierce combat with 
great loss. Seeing them retreating, the Morres, 
elated with victory, mounted the breastwork, calling 
out after them : " You cowardly fellows, you are 
running away just as we had used up all our 
powder." The enemy, on hearing this, and taking 
it for a fact, as it really was, returned to the at- 
tack, and as the garrison had no ammunition, 
carried the entrenchment, putting all the Gripsies 
to the sword. Since that fatal day, whenever a 
Morre speaks of a friend's misfortune, he exclaims: 
"It happened to him just as to our brothers of 
Nagy-Ida." 

It is not to be denied that the Gripsy is gifted 
with much natural talent, which, with a little good- 
will and perseverance, might be turned to great 



FEOM EASTEKtf EUKOPE. 343 

advantage. His admirable genius for music, parti- 
cularly on the violin, deserves the first mention. 
"When asked what he is, the Morre replies with 
a shrug, "I don't know!" adding in a dreamy 
way, " ask my violin ! " And he is right. As soon 
as he begins to play his untaught melodies, the 
violin seems inspired with life, as though it really 
were a member of the doomed race and felt their 
misfortunes, telling of the long series of their 
ancient and present sufferings ; and its plaintive 
tones are so touching, so melancholy, that the lis- 
tener is imperceptibly overcome by deep sadness ; 
but more so the performer. An unusual animation 
overspreads his countenance, his eyes flash, large 
tears roll down his hollow cheeks, and his fingers 
sweep more impetuously over the strings. The 
gentle complaint turns into a wild, warlike strain. 
It is a call to arms ; a challenge for vengeance 
against his oppressors. The storm gradually melts 
into a cheerful melody. The victory is gained, the 
long-forgotten home is reconquered, and the air 
ends with a sudden shout of triumph. The bright 
vision is gone, and the musician passes his hand 
across his eyes to efface the last trace of his emo- 
tion. He is again the thoughtless and frivolous 
Morre. 

We seldom find a Gripsy without a violin or. 
hammer; his helpers in time of need. Both play- 



344 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

ing and forging he practises from childhood ; and 
no doubt his ability as a musician was one of the 
primary causes of his toleration in Hungary, her 
inhabitants being passionate lovers of music. 

In his perpetual roving throughout that country 
the Gipsy has completely caught the character of 
the national music. He acquires at the source the 
countless sweet and melancholy airs composed and 
sung by the people, and plays them, without know- 
ing a single note, with such animation and correct- 
ness, that he has obtained, as the national musi- 
cian of Hungary, rank and superiority over all 
competitors. "Whenever a particular air is called 
for, the Gipsy only asks for the first few tones to 
be whistled or sung to him ; during which he toys 
with the strings, then, making a sign that he 
already knows his part, he plays it off with the 
same exactness, as if some invisible hand held the 
notes before him ; and on this he prides himself 
not a little. 

Besides the many small strolling bands of ragged 
Morres who gain a living by their art in towns, 
inns, at weddings and at fairs, there are others, 
more respectable and numerous, who are kept in 
the pay of the magnates and rich landed pro- 
prietors and dwell in their castles, playing during 
dinner and on other occasions. These bands are 
clad in the Hungarian costume, and usually con- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 345 

sist of twelve performers, namely, eight violins, 
two clarionets, one bass-viol, and a cymbal. 

The harvest time of these musicians is winter, 
during which season most of the weddings amongst 
the people take place. Long before that period 
the Gipsy enjoys in imagination the abundant 
meals and copious draughts which await him, as 
an important person at those festivals. It may 
fairly be stated that his life, during two of the 
winter months, is a continual wedding feast. Cer- 
tainly only the elastic constitution of G-ipsies could 
bear the unceasing uproar and want of rest to 
which they are then exposed ; they, however, be- 
come so habituated to playing that they can doze 
on their seats round the large ovens without once 
losing time or stopping in their performance. 
Such bands number three or four persons, not 
unfrequently a Bade with his Purdes. 

As we have already remarked, the Gipsy by 
means of his violin exercises great power over the 
feelings of his auditors. Of this he is well aware ; 
for he often approaches one or other of them, and 
whilst giving the air a pathetic turn, that vibrates 
through every nerve, he asks naively: "Do you 
not feel it?" The person thus addressed, who 
understands the implied challenge, and is in truth 
enraptured with the strains, rarely lets the musi- 
cian go without ample remuneration. 



346 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

In the ancient Bdhoczi march the Gripsy displays 
the full force of his art. This martial air, a mas- 
terpiece of its kind, which the Magyars can never 
listen to without enthusiasm mingled with sadness, 
was compiled mere than two hundred years since 
from old popular war songs by a favourite Gipsy 
musician of Prince Greorge Rakoczi, and since then 
has often inspired and accompanied that nation in 
their countless battles. 

Among the brown composers many have acquired 
lasting celebrity in Hungary. The names of Bi- 
hari, Bunko, Boka, Martinovics, &c, are familiar 
in the mouths of the people ; one of whom, Barna 
Mihaly, in the middle of the eighteenth century, 
was made musical director to Cardinal Emeric 
Count Csaky, who had his portrait painted, and 
himself wrote beneath it : " Magyar Orpheus" the 
Hungarian Orpheus. 

"When his violin is less in demand, that is to say, 
during the summer months, the Gripsy takes to 
his hammer, and the brown Apollo is transformed 
to a sooty Vulcan. He is a skilful smith, parti- 
cularly in horse-shoeing and manufacturing nails, 
knives, steels, &c, which alone would enable him 
to gain an ample livelihood, were he not apt to 
throw his hammer aside in the midst of his work, 
and lie down either to smoke or to sleep. He 
makes the nre on the ground, at which he plies his 



FEOM EASTEEN" ETJEOPE. 347 

trade cross-legged, on anvils, which are often pieces 
of stone, assisted by his wife and children, who 
work the bellows. No sooner has he fashioned a 
part of the old iron he has collected or occasionally- 
stolen into nails and other small goods than each 
member of the family takes his portion and runs 
off with it to the village, where it is sold or bar- 
tered for bread, bacon, eggs, &c. He also en- 
graves seals, mends kettles, and, when living in 
forests, makes wooden wares. 

In several parts of the country he likewise washes 
gold found in the rivers. For this permission he 
pays eight shillings yearly to the treasury, and has 
to deliver up all the gold he collects at a stipulated 
price. The manipulation thereof is very simple. 
A board of limewood, three feet long by one broad, 
in which fifteen to twenty notches are cut, is used 
for washing the sand; the gold drops into the 
notches, and is then thoroughly cleaned in troughs 
filled with water. The boards are occasionally 
covered with flannel, the better to gather up the 
minute particles of the precious metal. At the 
time of the heavy rains in the mountains, when the 
rivers are swollen, the gold-washiDg is the most 
productive. 

Pilfering is the innate, darling occupation of the 
Morre. Wherever he goes or stays, and whatever 
he is about, he keeps a sharp eye upon everything 



348 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

he can carry off unobserved ; and the shamefaced- 
ness with which he denies his deed is truly amazing. 
On one occasion a Gipsy, whilst in the presence 
of a nobleman, skilfully pocketed his watch, which 
was lying on the table. The owner, hearing a 
ticking at the Gipsy's side, asked what the sound 
proceeded from. Whereon the thief replied, with 
perfect self-possession: "From my spurs;" although 
he was barefooted. A Morre, sent to prison for 
horse-stealing, when asked what he had to say in 
his defence, replied, with an air of injured dignity : 
"I did not steal the horse; the horse stole me. As 
I was walking through a hollow way, I saw a horse 
lying across the path. Owing to the steep slopes 
of the ravine I could not pass without coming in 
contact with him, and I thought to myself, if I 
walk by his head he will bite me ; if by his tail he 
will kick ; so I decided to step over him : at the 
very moment I did so, the wild animal sprang upon 
his legs and ran off with me in spite of all my 
efforts to stop him." 

As the Morre loves his ease better than work, 
he often remains in his hut sleeping, and despatches 
his wife and children in quest of provisions: The 
hungry foragers sally forth to one of the neigh- 
bouring villages either to beg, tell fortunes, or sell 
their small ware*; and whilst the mother occupies 
the attention of the inhabitants by her volubility, 



EEOM EASTEEN EFEOPE. 349 

the Furdes prowl about and steal whatever comes 
within their reach. 

When telling fortunes — a monopoly of the women 
• — they offer amulets of leaven with curious hiero- 
glyphics and charmed knots for sale, which are to 
bring certain luck to the possessor in gambling, 
love and such like hazardous affairs. When beg- 
ging, they sing and dance, making diverse comic 
gestures, between times throwing somersets, and 
poising themselves upon their heads. 

Other branches of their industry consist in the 
discovery of stolen goods and in doctoring cattle. 
In the first instance it is readily to be conceived 
that the Gripsy, who is perhaps himself the thief, 
or, from his connexion with all the vagabonds and 
thieves in the neighbourhood is well informed on 
such points, may, without the aid of the black art, 
seem to possess a supernatural power in detecting 
the stolen property. When called upon for help 
by the party who has been robbed, he assumes an 
air of mystery, offering his aid for a due reward to 
be paid in advance. The oracle then usually ap- 
points a meeting on the third day at some lonely 
place, for the restoration of the missing property, 
which is of course forthcoming, and the possessor 
loudly extols the Gipsy's wonderful detective 
power. 

The cure of cows rejecting their food is intrusted 

H H 



350 RTJBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

to the women, the simple owners little dreaming 
that they were the primary cause of the malady. 
The affair is conducted as follows : a Gipsy woman, 
acquainted or even in league with the herdsman of 
a drove, repairs to the pasturage where the cattle 
are grazing, and rubs the mouth of one of the 
cows with tallow, the poor animal thus becoming 
disgusted with every kind of food. "No sooner has 
the farmer remarked this than he sends for the 
wise Gipsy woman, who, after remaining a short 
time in the stable with the cow, charms away its 
ailment, which consists simply in carefully wiping 
off the tallow from its mouth. The animal greedily 
takes its food again, and the Gipsy walks off with 
the reward of her double-dealing. 

There is, perhaps, no business within the reach 
of a Morre better adapted to his shrewd nature 
than that of horse dealing, which opens to him an 
extensive field both in stealing as well as in cheat- 
ing. His artifices in changing the appearance of 
a stolen horse, and in metamorphosing an old hack 
into a magnificent charger, are numberless. "Who- 
ever buys a horse from a Gipsy, however cheap, 
may be sure that, in one respect or another, he has 
been imposed upon. 

The social life of this outlawed race bears the 
impress of great moral depravity. Under a tent, 
or in a narrow hut, containing one single room, the 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 351 

whole family live, however numerous, without any 
furniture, even without a bed. In the middle of 
the room a fire, their never-failing companion, 
burns alike in winter and summer, over which 
hangs the large soup-kettle on two forked sticks. 
Into it they throw pell-mell all the eatables they 
procure during the day, consisting of the most 
curious medley of Gipsy dainties, from a rotten egg 
to a dead cat. 

As soon as the boy enters manhood, he seeks for 
a companion among the swarthy beauties of his 
tribe, and after a short courtship makes his pro- 
posals to the object of his choice, the consent of 
parents being not much cared for by either of the 
parties. 

On the wedding-day the bridegroom and bride 
don their best apparel ; the former's consisting of 
an hussar-cloak, probably older than himself, of a 
red or green colour, furred and braided, and on 
which, if the owner be wealthy, glitter large zinc 
or silver buttons. The bride wears a red petticoat 
of many folds, and a white shirt with short full 
sleeves, her hair and neck adorned with copper 
coins. If they are not compelled to go to church, the 
matrimonial ceremony is performed in a hut by the 
Vajda, or by the oldest Bade in the band, the bride- 
groom pledging his faith in the folio wing manner : 
— " I take thee for my hut-companion for the time 



352 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

thou canst carry the Szatyor" — a sort of basket ; 
that is to say, till death, for a Gipsy woman is 
never without her Szatyor, in which she collects all 
the odds and ends she picks up during her rambles. 
Another way of celebrating the rite is by the bride- 
groom holding the bride with one hand, while with 
the other he throws a jug over his head ; the mar- 
riage being valid for as many years as the pieces 
into which the jug breaks. After the ceremony 
come feasting and dancing, in which each member 
of the tribe shares. On the third day, the merry- 
making terminates, and the newly-wedded couple 
build a hut, procure the implements for forging, 
and commence their domestic life, with all its 
piquant daily occurrences of begging, pilfering, 
idling, &c. The menage is regarded incomplete 
until an old jade, and, under very favourable circum- 
stances, even a cart is procured for the transport 
of the Purde's and utensils. 

The parents never omit to have their children 
baptized, repeating the ceremony, no matter whe- 
ther Catholic or Protestant, as often as they, in 
their roving, arrive at a fresh village. This they do 
in order to extort rich baptismal gifts, with which 
the children are usually presented by their god- 
parents, who are chosen from the wealthiest and 
most zealous inhabitants ; but, notwithstanding the 
administration of all forms of Christian baptism, 



mOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 853 

the brown progeny remain as great heathens as 
their nnbaptized ancestors. A Gripsy mother rubs 
the body of her baby with an ointment to give it a 
swarthy complexion ; the little one is then exposed 
to the sun, or placed before the fire to complete 
the darkening process. The parents are much at- 
tached to their children, and infanticide is unknown 
among them. Whenever the authorities want to 
compel a Gipsy to confess some misdeed or other, 
they have only to carry off his Purdes, and they are 
sure to gain their point. 

In removing from place to place, which they do 
without regret, without casting back one sad fare- 
well glance, they always destroy their huts, that all 
traces of their existence may disappear with them. 

The migration and the encampment of those 
nomades called " Wallachian Gipsies," who are al- 
lowed to remain only for three days within the 
landmark of a village, afford many an enlivening 
and peculiar scene. The procession, often consist- 
ing of ten to fifteen families, is headed by the old 
Vajda on horseback, followed by horses laden with 
every sort of chattel, and accompanied by the men 
on foot ; tall, robust fellows, clad in dirty shirts and 
drawers, the head and feet bare, each carrying a 
bundle, and vociferating in a most animated man- 
ner. Then come the carts, covered with tar- 
pauling, and dragged at a slow pace by worn-out 

hh2 



354 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Lacks. From each of the vehicles a dozen Purdes, 
with their large glistening eyes, peep forth, one 
singing, another crying ; some wrestling, or trying 
to play on different instruments ; others conversing 
with their mothers, who walk by the side of the 
carts, generally leading a Purde in either hand, 
most of them having also babies on their backs. 
On arriving at the banks of a river, near a village, 
the caravan stops, and for several moments a noisy, 
bustling scene ensues, until each family has found 
the spot best fitted for their tents. Hereupon, as 
on a given sign, the whole tribe swarm like locusts 
into the village, where, in defiance of locked doors 
and savage dogs, every house is compelled to con- 
tribute to their wants. Towards evening they 
again assemble in the camp, preparing and consum- 
ing their spoil amidst jests and merriment. Wher- 
ever these ravenous guests make their appearance, 
the inhabitants of the village surround their camp 
with sentinels ; yet, notwithstanding their precau- 
tion and vigilance, the predatory gang commits 
merciless ravages among the poultry. 

The Gipsy despises all possessions he cannot 
carry along with him. Eor silver utensils, parti- 
cularly goblets, he has a great fancy ; and in ge- 
neral every family has a piece of plate, an inherit- 
ance from father to son, which during the march is 
hung in a knapsack round the Dade's neck, and in 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 355 

the hut buried under the fire-place, to save it from 
being stolen. 

At the demise of a member, the whole tribe 
weeps and howls round the corpse, whilst the most 
skilled Dades try to restore animation. After vain 
attempts, the Vajda exclaims: "He is gone!" 
Whereupon the corpse, without any ceremony, is 
committed to some lonely and quiet grave, and, 
after momentary mourning, the survivors continue 
their thoughtless existence. 

There are about 40,000 Gipsies in Hungary ; but 
they appear to be more numerous from their inces- 
sant wandering over the country. Their numbers, 
however, yearly decrease, owing to their receding 
before the tide of advancing civilisation ; and they 
would probably soon become extinct, if new bands 
did not immigrate from time to time from the 
East. 



356 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER XYI. 

THE GOLDEN AGE. 

Evert nation has an epoch in the annals of its 
past, which, more brilliant than the rest, sheds a 
surpassing lustre on many a succeeding age, and 
whereon posterity dwells at once with just pride 
and fond regret, particularly in the time of ad- 
versity. 

That epoch for Hungary is the age of the Huny- 
ads, ever memorable not only for a long series of 
heroic exploits, but even more so for its advance 
in civilisation and the education of the people, 
which transformed the land of the Magyars for a 
time at least into the enviable seat of the arts and 
sciences. 

The family of Hunyad did not grow into great- 
ness with the history of the country like many 
others of the nobility. It appeared suddenly like 
a bright meteor in the forgeround of events, with 
its founder, the brave John ; disappearing with his 



EEOM EASTEEN ETJEQPE. 357 

son Matthias, after a short but ever memorable ex- 
istence, from the scene of action. 

History affords rather obscure hints than au- 
thentic facts on the origin of the Hunyads ; the 
following tradition on the subject has however 
been accredited by several historians. 

King Sigismund, who had sullied the throne 
of Hungary during fifty-one years by oppression, 
excess and executions, and to whose career the 
saying, that there is seldom an evil so absolute 
which may not lead to some good, may fairly be 
applied : this King visited Transylvania during 
the year 1399. Having taken up his residence at 
the house of a wealthy noble, Sigismund was greatly 
pleased to find that his host, among his other trea- 
sures, possessed a very beautiful daughter. The 
King, as was his wont, soon became enamoured of 
the maiden, who cordially returned his aifection. 
After a visit of some months, when about to leave, 
the royal guest presented the girl with a diamond 
ring, assuring her at the same time that, should 
she ever need his protection, she had only to come 
to his palace at Buda, where, on producing that 
token of his affection, she would at once be 
admitted. 

A few months after the King's departure the 
fair Hungarian gave birth to a son, who received 
at his baptism the name of John. A year later the 



358 RTTKAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

young mother and her baby, accompanied by her 
brother, set out for Euda to claim the sovereign's 
protection for his child. During their tedious jour- 
ney through the wild forests which then covered the 
greater part of the country, while resting by the 
side of a brook, the mother gave the diamond ring 
to her restless baby to play with. The sparkling 
stone attracted a raven who, as it is well known, 
has a great liking for shining objects. The bird 
suddenly pounced upon the ring, and ere the 
mother conld interfere had carried it off. Great 
was her terror at this daring theft. Luckily the 
raven did not fly away, but remained perched upon 
a neighbouring tree apparently absorbed in exa- 
mining its booty. The brother, a skilful marksman, 
lost no time in seizing his crossbow, and aimed so 
well at the winged pilferer that he fell pierced by 
the arrow to the ground. The travellers reached 
the capital without further accident, and by means 
of their talisman quickly gained admission to the 
royal presence. Sigismund received them with 
much kindness, and was so greatly amused at the 
account of their adventure that he named the child 
Corvinus ; corvus signifying raven in Latin. He 
likewise invested the family with the rank of 
Hungarian nobles, and presented little John with 
the castle and hereditary estates of Hunyad in 
Transylvania ; giving him for his armorial bearings 



FEOM EASTEEN ETTEOPE. 359 

a raven pierced by an arrow, holding a ring in its 
beak. Subsequently John became the renowned 
Hungarian hero, and the scourge of the Turks. 

It would be difficult to say whether he was 
greater as a citizen or warrior. Of a simple and 
true-hearted character, he rose above the lower pas- 
sions which so often darken and entangle the 
career of the most celebrated men. Fortune, 
therefore, never made him arrogant, and in adver- 
sity he remained unshaken. The best proof of the 
high estimation his merits were held in by his 
countrymen is that, though of illegitimate descent ; 
yet, owing to his superior abilities and unimpeach- 
able character, he was chosen governor of the realm 
during the minority of King Ladislaus V., with 
the consent of the haughty magnates, each of 
whom considered himself a king. For six years 
Hunyad held this distinguished but onerous office, 
devoting every moment of his time to the service 
of his country, whether on the battle-field against 
the Turks and Austrians, or on the judge's bench. 
His contemporaries say of him that standing or 
sitting, on foot or on horseback, everywhere justice 
was his sole aim and practice. Even Sultan Mo- 
hamed, whom Hunyad had so signally defeated at 
Belgrade, at the tidings of his death, exclaimed, 
that in him the world had lost a citizen rarely to 
be met with. His active and eventful life closed 



360 KUEAL A3TD HISTOEICAL GLEANIKGS 

as it began with a victory over the most formidable 
foe of the cross, the Turks. The battle was fought 
near and on the ramparts of Belgrade, which was 
besieged by them. Supported by his zealous and 
eloquent friend the Franciscan monk, John Capis- 
tran, Hunyad with an army of peasants put the 
countless hosts of the Turks to the rout. 

But the victory was dearly bought, for it cost 
the country the life of their greatest hero. Exposed 
to the incessant hardships of the camp, Hunyad 
caught the ague, and within three weeks of his 
admirable feat of arms was carried off in the fifty- 
sixth year of his age. 

The noble warrior, when feeling the approach of 
death, summoned his two sons, Ladislaus and Mat- 
thias, to his bedside, and tenderly blessing them, 
requested his venerable friend, Capistran, to bless 
them too. The monk complied. Yet, while he 
held his hands but a short time over Ladislaus' 
head, he offered up his prayers long and fervently 
for the younger Matthias, whose brilliant destiny, 
as future king of Hungary, he with a prophetic 
eye seemed to read in his expressive features. 

John Hunyad committed his sons to the pecu- 
liar care of King Ladislaus, in the full persuasion 
that they could find no better and more faithful 
protector than the man whom he had preserved 
upon the throne. The honest father, however, 



FROM EASTERN EUEOPE. 361 

could not have intrusted them to a more fickle 
and treacherous guardian. The visible attachment 
of the people to the young brothers, in whom they 
saw all their father's virtues revive, awoke a bitter 
jealousy in the sovereign's breast, which was sedu- 
lously fomented by his uncle and sole counsellor, 
the Austrian Count Cilly. This ambitious and 
perverse courtier most cordially detested John 
Hunyad for his noble character and distinguished 
position, and after his death transferred his ha- 
tred to the two scions of that name. In a secret 
conference with the Prince of Serbia, another 
enemy of the Hunyads, he decided to extirpate the 
entire race on the first favourable occasion. The 
letter, however, which Cilly sent to the Prince of 
Serbia, and wherein he openly expressed his inten- 
tion of taking the life of the two brothers, fell into 
the hands of Ladislaus Hunyad, then commander 
of the fortress of Belgrade. This happened just at 
the time when Cilly, accompanied by the King 
and a strong body of Austrians, repaired to the 
fortress for the accomplishment of his infamous 
designs. Ladislaus, already aware of the con- 
spiracy, threw open the gates to the King and his 
followers ; but refused to admit foreign soldiers on 
the plea of the existing laws, which prohibited the 
frontier fortresses from being garrisoned with any 
other than native troops. The day after the arrival 

i i 



362 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

of the Count, while the King was at mass, Ladislaus 
had an interview with Cilly, whereat he produced 
the latter' s own intercepted letters, which irre- 
fragably proved his treachery. The Austrian Count, 
as insolent and proud as ever, after a few angry 
words drew his sword and wounded the defence- 
less Ladislaus on the head and hand. The youth, 
much stronger than his adversary, seized him with 
so firm a grasp that Cilly could no longer use his 
weapon. The noise attracted some of the attend- 
ants of the brothers, who, seeing the danger of 
their beloved master, cut down the assassin on the 
spot. 

Hunyad fully justified his conduct to the King, 
who, though much terrified, at the same time ac- 
knowledged the necessity of his self-defence, and 
with apparent sincerity forgave the commander. 

From Belgrade the King went to Temesvar, then 
in possession of the widow of John Hunyad, 
Elizabeth Szilagyi. She received him habited in 
deep mourning, and craved forgiveness for the un- 
happy occurrence at Belgrade. The King swore 
upon the Host never to avenge the death of Cilly on 
either of the Hunyads, and presented the widow 
and her sons, as a sign of his undiminished favour 
towards their illustrious family, with rich garments 
of purple and gold. No sooner, however, did the 
King return to Buda, than, at the instigation of 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 363 

other evil counsellors, among whom was Palatine 
Grara, the father-in-law of Ladislaus Hunyad, the 
young sovereign changed his mind, and caused the 
two brothers, who, trusting in his princely word 
and honour, had accompanied him thither, to be 
arrested on the plea of high treason ; and without 
farther investigation issued a death-warrant against 
the elder of them. Scarcely a day was permitted 
to elapse, ere he was hurried from his prison to 
the square of St. G-eorge at Buda, and there be- 
headed within sight of the King's palace, who 
himself witnessed the execution from his windows. 
Ladislaus, then in his twenty-fourth year, was of 
an athletic figure, with a fair complexion and 
long wavy hair. His imposing and calm bear- 
ing, together with the popular feeling of venera- 
tion for his name, so excited the executioner, that 
he struck thrice with his sword without a fatal 
result. After the third stroke, the youth had 
sufficient strength and presence of mind left to 
rise and to declare that he had already endured the 
extreme severity of the law, which pronounced 
the culprit, after three unsuccessful strokes, free 
from all farther punishment ; even when guilty of 
the greatest crime : at the same time he solemnly 
summoned the perjured King to meet him before 
God's tribunal within a year and a day. As he 
stepped forwards to address the people, he stumbled 



384 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

over his long purple robe presented to him by the 
King at Temesvar, and fell to the ground, when 
the executioner, at the command of the sovereign, 
dealt a fourth desperate stroke, thereby severing 
his head from his body. 

The news of this horrible murder spread like 
wildfire throughout the country, and the people, 
headed by Hunyad's uncle, the powerful Szilagyi, 
rose in arms to avenge the undeserved fate of the 
young hero. The King, cowardly in danger as in- 
solent in prosperity, escaped from the Capital to 
Vienna, and from thence to Prague, in Bohemia, 
dragging Matthias Hunyad with him as prisoner. 
In Prague, while awaiting the arrival of his bride, 
Nemesis overtook him, and he fell a victim, as the 
people said, to remorse for the unkingly deed he 
had perpetrated a year and a day before on the 
unfortunate Hunyad. 

On the sudden decease of their monarch, the 
Magyars, assembled upon the Eakos-field at the 
outskirts of Pesth, to elect a new sovereign. After 
a short discussion, the nation, in remembrance of 
the undying merits of his father, unanimously pro- 
claimed Matthias Hunyad King, on the 24th of 
January, 1458. 

At the time of his election Matthias was at 
Prague, a prisoner in the hands of Podiebrad, 
King of Bohemia, little dreaming of the dignity 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 365 

the Diet had conferred on him. When Podiebrad 
learnt the fact from a deputation of Hungarians, 
he at the dinner table greeted Matthias as King of 
Hungary, and after betrothing him to his daughter, 
permitted him to depart for Buda, where the 
youthful sovereign celebrated his fifteenth birth- 
day. The manner in which he seized the reins of 
government justified the most sanguine expecta- 
tions of the people, who could not have intrusted 
their welfare to better hands. 

Matthias, himself a descendant of the people, 
whose noblest type he was, had early acquired, by 
wise lessons and by sad experience, an acute judg- 
ment unusual to his years, and a steadfastness of 
purpose, which nothing could divert from the 
straight course. He added to the heroism of his 
father the higher virtues of a wise ruler, and ren- 
dered the throne what it ever ought to be, the 
refuge of the wronged and oppressed. An un- 
flinching sense of justice and predilection for the 
sciences were the chief ornaments of his character 
and of his time. As a boy, he pleaded in the pre- 
sence of his father the cause of a poor widow who 
had been oppressed by the lord of her tenure, with 
so much fire and justness, that he succeeded in 
obtaining a sentence in favour of the wronged 
woman, which at that time was no easy task. His 
taste for the classic authors was equally remark- 

n2 



366 ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

able; while reading them he forgot both food 
and sleep. His thirst after knowledge was fos- 
tered by the numerous learned men who assembled 
at his court, and who, like the Greeks after the 
capture of Constantinople by the Turks, brought 
the treasures of ancient literature to Hungary, 
where they were received and entertained by Mat- 
thias in a princely manner. The influence of 
mental culture was not limited to the King's 
court. From his palace and the university, the 
centre of learning, the light of knowledge gradu- 
ally spread over the land by means of gratuitous 
instruction ; finding access alike to the castle and 
the hut. Schools were founded in Preszburg, 
Waitzen, Great "Wardein, Erlau, Gran, &c, on the 
plan of the university of Buda ; and the printing- 
machine recently imported from Germany to the 
Capital could not supply half the demands even of 
the schools. The King also kept a host of copyists, 
well skilled in penmanship, in constant pay, who, 
either in his palace or during their travels, were 
employed in collecting or transcribing the most 
valuable books for his library, which by degrees 
rose to the number of fifty thousand volumes, 
bound in gold, silver and velvet. Thus, while his 
armies protected the boundaries of his extensive 
realm, rendering the Hungarian name abroad both 
great and feared; another army, that of the pioneers 



EEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 367 

of science, battled successfully with ignorance and 
prejudice. The culture and prosperity of the na- 
tion attained a height hitherto unknown. The 
habits and manners of the people became softened 
and refined, and the Magyars, accustomed solely 
to the wild excitement of war or martial sports, 
now saw with astonishment, tinged with pleasure, 
their beloved sovereign pass his leisure hours in 
the halls of the magnificent palace he had built at 
Buda, surrounded by scholars of all nations ; and 
thus a noble emulation to follow in the same course 
sprung up amongst them. The most glorious era 
of Greece and Eome seemed to revive on the banks 
of the Danube and the Theiss. 

Matthias sought and found his greatest glory in 
the happiness of his people. He respected their 
love of liberty, well aware that it kept the national 
spirit alive, and afforded the mightiest engine for 
promoting his vast schemes. Living much among 
the peasants, he became thoroughly acquainted with 
their wants and inclinations, and could thus the 
better provide for their well-being. Consideration 
and kindness characterised all his dealings with 
them. On one occasion, when travelling through 
the county of Gbmor, he heard many complaints 
against the oppression of the magnates. Several 
of them chancing to be in attendance on him, he 
conducted them into a vineyard, and taking a hoe, 



368 EURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

commenced working, and desired the nobles to fol- 
low his example. They complied, but soon left off, 
alleging that the exertion was too great for them. 
Whereupon the King remarked : " Now you have 
some idea of the hard life of the poor peasant, who 
toils for your benefit. Treat him, therefore, with 
kindness and forbearance ; lest you destroy the 
source of your wealth, and thus be compelled to 
perform the work yourself." 

During Matthias's long reign, scarcely a year 
passed without a war with one of his many neigh- 
bours ; of whom the Turks were the most formid- 
able, and the Austrians the most turbulent. The 
former, after having been defeated in several cam- 
paigns, were glad to obtain a lengthened peace; 
not so, however, with Frederick IV. Emperor of 
Germany and Duke of Austria, who so repeatedly 
warred and marauded along the western borders, 
that at last he drew down upon himself the ven- 
geance of the Magyar king. Seeing no end to this 
vexatious petty warfare, Matthias with three armies 
invaded Austria, chased away her Duke, and having 
reduced the smaller fortresses, he also captured 
"Vienna, the Capital, on the twenty-second of Jan- 
uary 1485, assuming the title of a ruler of Austria 
and granting the people a constitution similar to 
that of Hungary. 

Matthias's daring courage may be the best ga- 



EEOM EASTEKN ETJKOPE. 3G9 

thered from the fact, that, during the siege of 
Vienna, he several times entered the town in dis- 
guise, and held conferences with his friends in a 
place called to this day the " Court of Matthias ; " 
and where on one occasion he was well nigh caught 
by a patrol of the garrison. Another instance will 
afford a similar proof of his undaunted bravery. 
At the siege of the fortress of Szabacs in Serbia, 
he was overtaken by a Turkish ambassador, who 
had boasted of his persuasive powers, and pro- 
mised his master, the Sultan, to bring Matthias 
round to his own way of thinking. The King, 
aware of this, appointed the most exposed part be- 
fore the fortress for their meeting place ; when the 
envoy, seeing a shower of bullets pouring upon 
them from the walls, was so much terrified that 
the source of his eloquence was entirely dried up. 
He could only stammer: "The Sultan sends his 
greeting! The Sultan sends his greeting ! " Mat- 
thias laughed heartily at the increasing fear and 
confusion of the Mussulman, and remarked to the 
bystanders : " Is it possible that such fools dare to 
stand in sight of our irresistible arms ? " 

It is no marvel that under such an intrepid leader 
the Hungarian army came off victorious from every 
engagement. Matthias was the first sovereign in 
Europe who kept a standing army, his celebrated 
Black Legion, in pay. With the soldiers he was as 



370 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

popular as with the scholars. He knew many 
by name, and, from living on terms of familiarity 
with them when in camp, their devotion as well 
as enthusiasm for their heroic sovereign were un- 
bounded. 

The last years of his life Matthias passed at 
Vienna, where he died from a stroke of apoplexy 
on the sixth of April 1490, after a reign of thirty- 
two years, leaving no legitimate heir to the throne. 

Matthias was of middle height and vigorous 
frame. He had dark curly hair, a swarthy com- 
plexion, large black eyes glowing with the fire of 
genius, an aquiline nose and small compressed 
lips. His commanding appearance bespoke at once 
the energetic and unflinching will which animated 
all his actions. 

His just, upright and chivalrous character made 
him the idol of the people. The tradition of his 
virtues is handed down, like a holy relic, from father 
to son, and still lives in the grateful memory of 
posterity in the following saying : " King Matthias 
is gone, and with him justice." His time was 
Hungary's Golden Age, often sung of by poets 
and oftener still regretted and recalled by the sor- 
rowing nation. 

An illegitimate son, John Corvin, inherited his 
name and many of his great qualities ; but he was, 
unhappily for the country, rejected as king at the 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 371 

ensuing election. In spite of this mortification 
John Corvin devoted his military talents as Ban of 
Croatia in the defence of his land, and remained 
the terror of the Turks up to the time of his early 
decease. He left a son and a daughter, Christo- 
pher and Elizabeth. The former soon followed his 
father to the grave, and the latter, heiress to his 
large possessions, became the wife of the son of 
John Zapolya, afterwards King of Hungary. 



372 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE IRON AGE. 

The Hungarian nation received from Providence 
the honourable, but extremely difficult mission : 
the defence of civilisation against the fanaticism of 
the East, and the upholding of religious and poli- 
tical freedom against the incessant aggressive at- 
tempts of their own kings, the Hapsburgs. 

In the long contest for these, the noblest pillars 
of humanity, the Hungarians fully proved both 
their vital power and heroic descent, showing them- 
selves, under circumstances of the greatest peril, 
worthy of their gigantic task. When assailed from 
all sides, they with transcendent devotion stood 
at bay, and fought and fell and shed their heart's 
blood upon their shattered bulwarks, whilst other 
nations grasped and enjoyed the fruit of their self- 
sacrifice. 

Hence the history of that nation from the six- 
teenth to the eighteenth century is, like the diary of 
a light-house, filled with accounts of storms and 



FBOM EASTEMT ETJEOPE. 373 

devastation, the result, in this case, of the wild pas- 
sions of men : and thus more destructive in their 
effects, than the transient wrath of the elements. 
Countless were the losses of the people during that 
melancholy period. There was no family in the land 
but had to mourn one or more of its members as 
martyrs to liberty ; every field, hill and town wit- 
nessed one or other of the sanguinary encounters. 
Every plot of land is hallowed by some glorious 
deed — some disastrous occurrence. Thus the 
memory of this long series of misfortunes became 
indelibly impressed upon the otherwise cheerful 
character of the Magyars. Their national songs 
and traditions are saddened by the chill breath of 
history, and in their sweet melodious music vibrate 
the deepest tones of woe and exultation ; fraught 
as it were with the groans of the dying and the 
huzzas of the victors. In all they do or say, an 
hereditary wailing for bygone glory and greatness 
is apparent. Had not their unswerving love of 
freedom upheld their spirits and cheered them after 
every defeat, they must have long ago succumbed 
to the strokes of an adverse fate. 

The ascent of the Hapsburgs to the Hungarian 
throne was the beginning of Hungary's Iron Age. 
This event was unfortunately coeval with the great 
Reformation, which spread over the land of the 
Magyars with such rapidity and success, that half 

K K 



374 EUKAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

a century after its entrance, more than three- 
fourths of the nobility and the people had em- 
braced the tenets of the new faith. It was, 
therefore, Liberty in two forms against which the 
Austrian rulers in Hungary arrayed their armies, 
and brought to bear &\\ the weapons which both 
blind fanaticism and unscrupulous despotism could 
devise. What the devastating arms of the Mos- 
lems had left intact, fell a prey to the oppression 
and extortion of the Christians. The Spanish, 
Italian, and German soldiers — even greater savages 
than the Turks themselves — were during their in- 
roads accompanied by troops of spiritual bandits, 
the Jesuits ; the traces of their united ravages 
being still visible in the scars that disfigure the 
annals of those ages, although the wounds them- 
selves have long since been healed. 

In the brilliant array of leaders who devoted 
their intellect and sword, their possessions and life 
to the cause of the nation in its time of need, are 
names, whose sound will ever thrill through the 
heart of the Hungarians with mingled enthusiasm 
and grief, and awake the memory of events at once 
august and tragical. A G-abriel Bethlen, a Stephen 
Bocskai, an Emeric Tokoli, those scourges of the 
perjured Hapsburgs, will evermore be admired and 
regretted as the noblest and most disinterested 
supporters of the Protestant faith and national 



TBOM EASTEBN EUROPE. 375 

independence. But there is another name stand- 
ing still higher in the esteem of the people, and 
holding a yet dearer place in their affections. And 
this name is Eakoczi. The members of that 
illustrious and heroic race did not, like a flash of 
lightning, vanish after a short career from the 
stormy and dark horizon of their country, but from 
father to son in an unbroken line, for more than a 
century, constituted the very core of the nation's 
life ; acting, suffering, and rejoicing with the 
people during all the dramatic vicissitudes their 
country underwent. Their history is therefore 
full of the most exciting episodes : it is in truth a 
succession of warlike romances, closing only when 
the last scion of that family had disappeared from 
the stage of life. 

The family of Eakdczi date from the time of the 
Arpads. Their princely estates were chiefly situ- 
ated on the banks of the Theiss in Upper Hungary, 
where in their castles of Sarospatak, Szerencs and 
Munkacs, many family relics are still preserved 
with almost religious veneration. The first 
Eakdczi who attained historical celebrity and 
opened the list of national leaders, was Sigismond. 
He was the friend and companion of Stephen 
Bocskai, and as one of his Generals fought at his 
side against Austria. After the death of his friend 
in 1606, Eakdczi at an advanced age was chosen 



376 ETTEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Prince of Transylvania, and called from his castle 
of Sarospatak to the throne by a deputation of the 
states. After a reign of eight years, seeing storms 
fast gathering over his land, he resigned in favour 
of the young and energetic Gabriel Bethlen, de- 
voting himself to the education of his son, Greorge 
I. The latter, having signalised himself by his 
great military abilities under the command of 
Bethlen in the wars with the Hapsburgs, was in 
1632 elected Prince of Transylvania, and after a 
successful campaign against Austria in 1644, 
chosen Prince of Hungary. He was succeeded in 
1649 by his equally warlike and patriotic son, 
Greorge II. ; who struggled at fearful odds against 
Leopold I, and his allies the Poles, and fell in 1664 
in a battle near Kolosvar, after performing marvels 
of bravery. His son Prancis, a very promising 
youth, and an ardent patriot, came in contact with 
the Palatine Yesselenyi, Zrinyi, Ban of Croatia, 
and other leading men of the period at the baths of 
Trencsen; where he likewise became acquainted 
with Helena, the daughter of Zrinyi, one of the 
noblest and most remarkable women in the annals 
of Hungary. After a short courtship she was be- 
trothed to Bakoczi whilst still at the baths ; and in 
1 6QQ their marriage took place at Sarospatak, at- 
tended by a great number of nobles from all parts 
of the country, who on that occasion concerted a 



FEOM EASTEKN ETTBOPE. 377 

plan for a general rising. But owing to the trea- 
chery of the Turks the scheme proved an utter 
failure. All the chiefs were captured in the act of 
assembling their troops, and beheaded at Neustadt, 
excepting Rakoczi, who was fortunate enough to 
purchase his life and freedom from the Austrian 
ministry for the sum of 40,OOOZ. Yet he did not 
long enjoy his rescued existence. He died sud- 
denly in 1667, in his twenty-second year, from the 
effects of poison administered by the Austrians; 
leaving behind a widow in the bloom of youth, and 
two children Juliana and Francis. Bakoczi fortu- 
nately did not live to see the fearful judgment pro- 
nounced upon the nation by Leopold I., that Attila 
of Hungarian independence. The Hapsburgs in 
1671, as in 1849, abolished the constitution, 
slaughtered the leaders of the people, burdened 
them with exorbitant taxes, and inundated the 
country with foreign troops. John Ampringen, 
Grand Master of the order of the Teutonic Knights, 
was appointed Grovernor-general of the land, and 
invested with full power to eradicate every trace of 
the Protestant faith. Political and religious per- 
secutions were now the order of the day. Not 
even women were exempt from the vengeance of 
the court-martials. The most illustrious were 
thrown into prison, and otherwise ignominiously 
treated. Amongst them the beautiful Maria Szecsi,. 

kk2 



378 SURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

widow of the executed Palatine Vesselenyi, made 
herself conspicuous by her indomitable courage. 
Well aware of what her fate would be were she 
tamely to submit, she, in her rocky fastness of 
Murany, fearlessly bade defiance to the summons 
and threats of the enemy, and withstood a siege of 
several months. "Want of provisions at last com- 
pelled her to surrender ; but on the express condi- 
tion of being for the future left in undisturbed 
possession of the fortress. No sooner, however, 
were the besiegers masters of her person, than she 
was conducted prisoner to Vienna and kept in 
close confinement to the end of her days. 

Whilst Hungary by such treatment was brought 
to the brink of ruin and despair, the widow of 
Eakdczi, now the acting representative of that 
family, lived at Munkacs, under the strict surveil- 
lance of her bigoted stepmother. There she occu- 
pied herself with the education of her children, 
whose impressionable minds she filled with undying 
love for their country and ineffaceable hatred to 
Austria ; and impatiently awaited the day when her 
fatherland would again rise to eject its sanguinary 
oppressors. In 1676 that day at length arrived, 
and Helena was destined to play an important part 
in the coming contest. 

Among the magnates who, owing to their liberal 
principles, were marked out by Austria as her vie- 



EBOM EASTERN EUEOPE. 379 

tims, was Count Tokoli, a rich Protestant nobleman 
of Upper Hungary. Although keeping strictly- 
aloof from politics, a band of mercenaries unexpect- 
edly surrounded his castle, where he dwelt with his 
young and promising son Emeric, and summoned 
him to surrender. Such a summons was then tan- 
tamount to a death warrant. This Tokoli knew, 
and in order to save at least his only child, he 
vigorously resisted the demand of the band, and 
thus gained time to forward Emeric' s escape by 
means of a subterranean passage. After the sol- 
diers had stormed the castle, they put the Count 
and the entire household to the sword ; but they 
searched in vain for the son, who in the company 
of a trusty retainer safely reached Polish soil, where 
his family held extensive possessions. Erom thence 
he passed over to Transylvania, to the court of the 
then reigning prince Abafi. Emeric Tokoli com- 
bined in his character all the higher qualities, 
which so well adapted him for leading on a nation to 
a glorious destiny. Under the pressure of adver- 
sity, his inborn genius developed itself with such 
marvellous rapidity, that at an age when others 
scarcely begin to look seriously upon life, he was 
already the idol of his countrymen, the proudest, 
the most experienced of them, willingly acknow- 
ledging the superiority of the kingly boy. Such, 
indeed, was their confidence in his military abili- 



380 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

ties, that when, in 1676, the national standard was 
raised, he at the age of twenty-one was unani- 
mously elected Commander-in-chief. The young 
leader pressed forwards from Transylvania, over- 
throwing the hostile forces wherever they attempted 
to check his irresistible advance. The first object 
of his campaign was the liberation of the fair widow 
of Eakdczi, whom he already silently admired, from 
the bondage of her stepmother. Near Munkacs, 
within sight of the lady of his love, he defeated an 
Austrian corps ; by this victory gaining access to 
her in the impregnable fortress. An intercourse 
of a few days sufficed to inspire those two heroic 
and noble beings with an undying attachment for 
each other ; and they determined that whatever the 
portentous future had in store for them they would 
meet it with united energy. Thus animated with 
love for Helena and his country, Tbkoli set out for 
the conquest of Hungary, and, after several cam- 
paigns, fulfilled his task by chasing the Austrians 
from Hungarian ground. In the zenith of his 
glory he returned to Helena to receive the highest 
reward at her hands, and they were united in mar- 
riage at Munkacs in 1682. 

From that moment the high-minded Princess 
seldom left her husband's side, sharing with him, in 
the company of her children, the hardships and ex- 
citement of the ensuing war. Her beauty and ac- 



TEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 381 

complishments shed an additional lustre on the 
throne, to which, in the midst of his triumphs, 
Tokoli was summoned, as Prince of Hungary, by 
the nation and confirmed by the Sultan ; and when 
soon afterwards fortune frowned upon him, and 
consequently his friends fell off one after another, 
her unflinching spirit and solemn enthusiasm aided 
him to rise far above the reach of common destiny. 
The defeat of the Turks under the walls of Vienna 
and in several subsequent battles, involved Hun- 
gary in disasters which not even the genius of 
Tokoli could avert. At that juncture Helena left 
her husband to take command of Munkacs, their 
strongest fortress on the Upper Theiss. But while 
she was making preparations for a life and death 
struggle, Tokoli, calumniated by Austria in the 
sight of the Sultan, was carried off to Constanti- 
nople, and though speedily liberated and reinstated 
in his former honours, the Hungarian cause had 
during his absence received a shock from which it 
never recovered. 

Meanwhile, to attain the object of his ambition 
— the establishment of unlimited power over Hun- 
gary — the Emperor had once more recourse to ter- 
rorism. Accordingly, court-martials were reinstated 
with increased rigour. The Neapolitan General 
Caraffa, whose name even now is pronounced as 
the most fearful curse by the people, was appointed 



382 BTJBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

chief executioner. That he might not be foiled in 
his work of destruction, he was provided with a 
writ in the Emperor's own hand, whereof a few 
words may be quoted to show the bitter enmity the 
Hapsburgs at all times bore towards the Magyars. 
"We cannot refuse petitioners access to our 
throne ; in the meantime you will pay no attention 
to any of our letters of pardon, but press on with- 
out forbearance or mercy towards your well-known 
aim." "With such a safeguard in his pocket and 
not a human feeling in his heart, Caraffa set to 
work. The two hundred and fifty Protestant 
ministers who, under pretext of a synod had pre- 
viously been convoked at Presburg, were after a 
long martyrdom partly executed in prison and 
partly sold as slaves to the Spanish galleys. But 
it was in Eperies that Caraffa' s ferocious nature 
was fully brought to light. The wholesale execu- 
tions perpetrated there are commemorated in his- 
tory as the "Butcheries of Eperies." This town, 
formerly the centre of the Protestant movement in 
Upper Hungary, supported Tokoli's efforts with 
indefatigable zeal, and surrendered only after every 
hope of relief had vanished, upon honourable capi- 
tulation. Like a second Alva, Caraffa marched 
into the conquered town, his stern and sinister look 
portending no good to the wretched inhabitants. 
The hundredfold arrests were quickly followed up 



FBOM EASTERN EUROPE. 3S3 

by decimations ; and in March 1687 alone, twenty- 
three of the wealthiest nobles, among whom was 
Ketzer, the Cato of Hungary, were impaled and 
quartered, three and four at a time, that Caraffa 
might at leisure enjoy the tortures of his victims. 

The wives of the executed Ketzer and of his 
brother-in-law hastened to Vienna to implore the 
clemency of the Emperor, at least as far as the re- 
storation of their property was concerned. Leopold 
spoke to them most condescendingly, and carried 
his magnanimity so far as to give the bereaved 
women 40Z. for their travelling expenses, taking, 
however, due care to keep possession of their enor- 
mous possessions, which amounted to 100,000Z. 

"While arrests and executions on a formidable 
scale thus went on in rapid succession, striking 
horror and despair into every heart, while Tbkbli 
himself was dragged a prisoner from his country, 
and his armies everywhere met with reverses : his 
wife, braving all dangers, shut herself up with her 
children in the rocky fortress of Munkacs, and 
at the head of a handful of trusty retainers defied 
the attempts of the besiegers to subdue her by force 
of arms. No promises, no threats could shake her 
constancy. She replied alike to proposals of pardon, 
as to attacks by the mouth of her guns, and thus 
sustained a siege of more than two years. At 
length, the last loaf being consumed and the last 



384 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

bullet fired, she opened her gates ; but not until she 
had stipulated to retain possession of her estates, 
the guardianship of her children and free residence 
in Hungary. But what protection can parchments 
afford against force and perjury ? Scarcely had she 
delivered up her fortress than she was summoned 
to Vienna. The mortifications which the noble 
princess was subjected to after her surrender began 
ere she set foot in the Capital of Austria. At the 
gates she was kept for three hours, together with 
her followers, waiting the Emperor's pleasure ; and 
when allowed to enter the town, it was only to be 
shut up in one of the Ursuline convents in the 
suburbs. Her children were subsequently torn 
from her, and intrusted to the care of Cardinal 
Collonics, an arrant Jesuit, who placed Juliana in 
another convent, and sent her brother Francis to 
Bohemia to be educated in a college of Jesuits. 

After Helena had endured a severe imprisonment 
of three years, she was exchanged in 1692 for the 
Austrian General Heuster, whom Tokoli had de- 
feated and captured during one of his inroads into 
Transylvania, and permitted to join her husband in 
Turkey. Though Tokoli had carried on the war 
with all the energy and skill that characterised him 
throughout his eventful career ; yet his star seemed 
fast setting, and the Princess arrived there but to 
see how his superhuman efforts were baffled by 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 385 

both the apathy and treachery of his allies the 
Turks ; until the peace of Karlovicz, between the 
latter and Austria, for ever put an end to his already 
waning hopes. The reunion of the illustrious pair 
took place at Constantinople, from whence they 
proceeded to Nicomedia, where they lived in utter 
solitude ; their ardent energies sustaining them 
during a weary exile of many years. Helena at 
length succumbed, and the devoted wife and patriot 
breathed her last at the metropolis of Bythynia in 
1703. In foreign soil she found that repose which 
even in death was denied to her in the land of her 
birth. The loss of such a companion struck Tokoli's 
life at the very root. Overwhelmed by sorrow, po- 
verty and illness, broken in body, though unshaken 
in mind, he welcomed the hand of death, that in 
1705 closed the career of one of Hungary's greatest 
men. 

The good seed, however, that Helena had so se- 
dulously planted in the hearts of her children, in 
due time produced an abundant harvest. Per- 
suasion as well as threats were alternately employed 
to induce Juliana, her eldest child, to take the veil. 
But the young girl strenuously resisted both the 
one and the other, and was at length released from 
farther persecution by that most powerful of allies, 
by Love. The fame of her beauty and suiferings, 
perhaps even exaggerated by the romantic colour- 

L L 



386 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

ing with which all the incidents of her life were in- 
vested, spread in spite of locks and walls through- 
out the country, and many were the nobles ani- 
mated with a chivalrous devotion for the young 
Princess without ever having seen her. 

Among the most powerful of her admirers was the 
Count Aspremont, Commander-in-Chief of Upper 
Hungary, who resolved at once to show his knightly 
prowess, instead of wasting his time in useless sighs 
and dreams. During the absence of her guardian, 
the Cardinal Collonics, from Vienna, Aspremont 
contrived to obtain the Emperor's permission to 
see the Princess, and was so successful in his ardent 
suit, that ere the Cardinal's return from Eonie he 
had already gained both her heart and hand. Though 
the wife of a foreign magnate, the daughter of 
Helena Eakdczi to the last remained faithful to her 
country, rendering to her and to her sons important 
services, when subsequently the court renewed 
its Jesuitical schemes for the undermining of Hun- 
gary's independence. 

"While his sister in so romantic a way obtained 
her freedom, Francis Eakdczi, four years her junior, 
was still in the hands of the Jesuits. In vain the 
latter exhausted all the subtle poison of their craft 
to pervert the principles of the Magyar prince. 
He, like his sister, was proof against their doctrines, 
and faithfully preserved the holy and patriotic in- 



FEOM EASTEEN" EUEOPE. 387 

spirations imbibed in infancy from bis motber's 
lips. Instead of allowing bimself to be moulded 
into one of tbeir servile tools, be became that, for 
wbicb Providence bad destined bim : tbe Avenger 
of bis country's wrongs. No sooner bad be heard 
of bis sister's marriage tban be quitted tbe college 
and unexpectedly arrived at Vienna. To bis guar- 
dian be expressed a wisb to take tbe management 
of bis affairs into bis own bands, and committed 
tbem to tbe care of bis sister, when, at tbe com- 
mand of tbe Emperor, be set off on a tour in Italy. 
After passing a year tbere, be went to Germany, 
and married Eleanora, Princess of Hesse-Rheinfeld, 
wbo was in every respect wortby of bim. By tbis 
independent step be roused tbe displeasure of tbe 
court to sucb a point, tbat on bis return to tbe 
Capital be was arrested. His imprisonment, bow- 
ever, lasted but a sbort time, and on bis liberation 
be received permission to reside upon bis estates in 
Hungary. Tbere tbe Prince found all bis castles 
garrisoned by foreign troops; bis every step 
dogged, and all bis doings reported by Austrian 
spies. His correspondence witb bis motber in par- 
ticular caused tbe Emperor and bis counsellors 
great uneasiness. 

About tbis time proposals were made to bim on 
tbe part of Prance, to induce bim to take up arms 
against Austria. It is uncertain whether he had 



388 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

at that period really entertained any serious 
thoughts of placing himself at the head of an in- 
surrectionary movement in his country ; when the 
Hapsburgs themselves compelled him to hurry into 
the fatal path, which, as many instances had already 
proved, led either to the scaffold or to exile. Ea- 
kdczi had in his service as secretary, a Fleming 
named Longueval, in whom he placed the fullest 
trust. Longueval, however, bribed by Government, 
not only betrayed his master's confidence, but by 
forging letters in the handwriting of Rakdczi, gave 
rise to a suspicion that he was getting up a con- 
spiracy. Under pretext of visiting his friends in 
the Netherlands, Longueval left the Prince, who 
was shortly afterwards informed by his sister of his 
secretary having been arrested in Linz, and that 
several letters, with a list of conspirators, had been 
found upon him. At this intellgence, instead of 
seeking safety in flight, though he dwelt but a short 
distance from the Polish frontiers, Eakoczi, con- 
scious of his innocence, remained quietly in Saros- 
patak, which he did not even quit when the news 
of the arrival of an order for his arrest had reached 
him. Thus, in 1701, his castle was invaded during 
the night by a battalion of Austrian troops, and 
Eakoczi torn from his wife's side, and immediately 
conveyed in his own carriage to Eperies and thence 
to Neustadt, where he was thrown into the very 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 389 

dungeon which had been occupied by his maternal 
grandfather, Count Zrinyi, previous to his execu- 
tion. After a confinement of six weeks, two officers 
were sent from Vienna to examine him, on which 
occasion he was confronted with his former secre- 
tary, who was so confused at the sight of his master 
and benefactor, that he could scarcely utter a single 
charge against him. The palpable innocence of 
the Prince would have been of no avail at court, and 
his destruction therefore inevitable, had not his 
energetic sister watched over him with a mother's 
iove. She left no means untried to bring about 
bis liberation, and at length succeeded in bribing 
bhe commander of his prison, who aided his escape 
in the uniform of a dragoon. The horse awaiting 
the fugitive Prince in the suburbs was shod back- 
wards to mislead his pursuers. By means of fresh 
relays, kept in readiness by his numerous friends, 
tie was enabled rapidly to cross the frontiers and 
to reach Polish soil. At the news of Rakoczi's es- 
cape the Government pronounced sentence of death 
[ipon him. His property was confiscated and a 
iarge price put upon his head. The alliance be- 
tween Poland and Austria rendered the position 
Df the outlawed chief still farther embarrassing ; so 
aiuch so, that for a long time he was compelled to 
svander in disguise from one to another of the nobles, 
to avoid the snares of his enemies. 

il 2 



390 ETTEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

Now, that lie was declared an outlaw by Austria, 
E-akoczi for the first time expressed his willingness 
openly to espouse the cause of his fatherland. 
History bears record of few men better calculated 
to play a leading role in a nation's struggle for in- 
dependence, than was Francis Rakdczi by his an- 
tecedents as well as by his position. For him no 
tie existed that had not been forcibly torn asunder, 
no feeling hallowed by nature and historical me- 
mory that was not desecrated by the house of Haps- 
burg. His maternal grandfather, the Ban Zrinyi, 
fell under the stroke of the Austrian executioner ; 
his uncle, Peter Zrinyi, perished after a twenty 
years' confinement in an Austrian dungeon; his 
father died in the prime of manhood from Austrian 
poison ; his admirable mother and his heroic step- 
father, both victims of their ardent patriotism, 
lived in distant exile, pursued and proscribed by 
the Habsburgs; and wherever he looked he be- 
held his fatherland fettered, bleeding and lacerated 
under the rule of foreign oppressors. Truly the 
remembrance and the sight of such crying out- 
rages were enough to change Eakdczi, amiable and 
humane though he was, into an implacable enemy 
of the originators of so many crimes and the chief 
cause of all the calamities that deluged his country. 

After a residence of a year and a half in Poland, 
having contracted an offensive alliance with Trance, 



EEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 391 

Rakdczi yielded to the repeated invitations of his 
compatriots and determined to declare war against 
Austria. On the 16th of June, 1703, at the head 
of a detachment of Hungarian and Polish Guards, 
the Prince re-crossed the frontier, unfurling the 
standard of insurrection from the summits of the 
Carpathian mountains. His appearance was greeted 
by the entire nation rising in arms, and his ranks 
as he proceeded were swelled by thousands of the 
best patriots. A few months ago a fugitive, and 
now the liberator of his country, the Prince led his 
victorious troops under the walls of Vienna ; the 
sound of the Hungarian bugles making his imperial 
rival tremble in his own Burg. 

Meanwhile Leopold died, and was succeeded by 
his son Joseph I. Of a milder and more placable 
disposition than his father, the new Emperor im- 
mediately took steps to conciliate Hungary. He 
released Bakoczi's wife and sister, who had been 
thrown into prison at the beginning of the war, and 
made them the medium of very liberal proposals of 
peace to the Magyars and their chief. But these 
patriotic women instead of attempting to induce 
Bakoczi to come to terms with the Hapsburgs, 
secretly encouraged him to carry on the struggle. 
This Bakoczi did, and the result of several victorious 
campaigns was his election as Prince of Transyl- 
ania, and in 1707 as Chief of Hungary, by the Diet 



392 BUBAI AND HISTOETCAL GLEANINGS 

assembled at Onod, who deposed the Hapsburgs 
at the proposal of the French ambassador. At this 
time, Peter the G-reat of Russia, through his ambas- 
sador, offered the throne of Poland to Eakoczi, 
which the latter to his credit firmly and wisely- 
declined. 

The war had continued to the year 1708, when 
the battle of Trencsen was lost by the Hungarians, 
which gave an unfavourable turn to their affairs. 
Still strong in the affection of the nation and in 
his own conviction, Eakoczi remained true to his 
purpose and pursued his course with unremitting 
zeal. While his armies faced the enemy along the 
Theiss, he hastened to Poland to bring fresh aid 
and to conclude an alliance with Russia. During 
his absence, however, his generals, weary of the 
protracted warfare, lent a favourable ear to the new 
proposals of Joseph I., and at Szatmar, in 1710, 
concluded a treaty of peace without the knowledge 
of their chief; whereby, under the guarantee of 
England and Holland, the so often conquered and 
reconquered political and religious liberties of the 
nation were confirmed. The Emperor also com- 
menced personal negotiations with Eakoczi, promis- 
ing him full amnesty and the restoration of his 
posessions on condition that he would acknowledge 
himself an Austrian subject. But the Prince, justly 
proud of his position, and determined to struggle 



FEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 393 

on with destiny, would not hear of submission to 
his and the nation's hereditary foe, preferring rather 
to renounce his princely estates and retire into 
voluntary exile. He accordingly embarked at 
Dantsic for Hull, and thence proceeded to France, 
where he together with his exiled companions met 
with the most nattering reception from Louis XIV. 
A yearly pension of 100,000 livres was granted to 
him besides 40,000 for the support of his com- 
patriots; moreover, to show how legitimate the 
French nation regarded the cause of the Magyars, 
they were on all occasions feted at court, and 
several of the Hungarian generals received com- 
missions in the army; one of whom, Count 
Bercsenyi, even attained the rank of a Marshal of 
France. 

During his stay in that country, Bakdczi lived in 
the society of those of the nobility celebrated for 
wit and bravery. He was a favourite of Mme. 
de Maintenon, and no party at court was thought 
complete without the Hungarian prince. Yet all 
the adulation and hospitality which the French 
lavished upon him could not make him forget that 
he was an exile ; that he still possessed a fatherland 
for whose welfare he never for an instant ceased to 
care. Nowhere did Eakdczi find that genuine 
happiness which Home alone can afford, and thus in 
1718 he quitted France, and at the invitation of 



394 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

Cardinal Alberoni went to Spain, and later to Con- 
stantinople, to be nearer to his beloved country. 
In vain lie challenged Turkey to continue the war 
with Austria ; and as the last ray of hope of again 
seeing his home disappeared he withdrew to Eo- 
dosto, on the Sea of Marmora, accompanied by his 
two sons, Francis and George, who had been libe- 
rated from prison and permitted to join their father 
in exile. Having now completely resigned himself 
to his fate, Eakoczi with the serenity of a philoso- 
pher looked back upon the turbulent course of his 
past life, and possessed as he was of a thorough 
knowledge of men and events, he predicted that his 
country would enjoy neither freedom nor happiness 
under the rule of the Hapsburgs, and that he was 
not the last of the victims who in consequence of 
the rash truce of 1710 would be driven into inde- 
finite exile. His presage was terribly borne out 
by the rising and total overthrow of Hungary in 
1849. Turkey has in consequence again become 
the abode of outlawed Magyar patriots, as was the 
case at the time of the Tokolis and Eakdczis ; and 
the homeless fugitive may now mingle his tears with 
the ashes of those great martyrs; and at their graves, 
hallowed by so many glorious recollections, learn 
how to live and die worthy of the name and of the 
cause which he is called upon to honour and to 
defend. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 395 

Francis Eakoczi expired in 1735, at the age of 
fifty-nine, leaving behind in his memoirs the best 
monument of his noble and disinterested character. 
He rests by the side of his mother, Helena Zrinyi, 
in the Church of St. Benoist, at Galata. At the 
outbreak of another war between Turkey and 
Austria, in 1737, the Sultan summoned the eldest 
son of Eakoczi to Constantinople, and conferred on 
him the title of a Chief of Hungary. The latter 
appeared at the head of a troop of horsemen at 
Widdin. But the Hungarians had now learnt 
patiently to bear the foreign yoke, and in their 
blindness and misplaced loyalty even to become the 
champions of their oppressors. Eakoczi therefore 
returned without result from the Hungarian borders 
to Constantinople, where he soon afterwards died 
from the effects of the plague, leaving no issue. 

His brother George likewise died young and 
childless, and thus the noblest and mightiest family 
in Hungary became extinct in exile and poverty, 
after they had fought, bled, and suffered for more 
than one hundred and fifty years in their country's 
cause. The Eakoczis deserved a better fate, and 
that they deserved it, is best proved by the people 
still preserving a memory of them in their music, 
songs, and countless traditional tales, which descend 
from generation to generation. As long as there 
is a Magyar, the name of Eakoczi will never be 



396 EITBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

pronounced without a sigh of regret ; without a tear 
of sympathy and of reverence. 



The following Epitaphs form an appendix of 
historical interest to the foregoing sketch. The 
two first have been recently discovered by General 
Klapka in the church of St. Benoist, at Galata, 
where the remains of Helena Zrinyi and Francis 
Rakoczi are buried. That of Tokoli was found a 
few years since by others of the Hungarian exiles 
in a field near Nicomedia, in Asia : — 

Hie requiescit ab Tieroicis laboribus virilis animi 
mulier sexus sui ac seculi gloria celsissima Bomina 
Helena Zeeinia, Zerinice at que Frangepanice gentis 
decus ultimum; Tbkblyi Frincipis uxor, olim Makoczyi 
utroque digna conjuge, magnis apud Chroatas Tran- 
sylvanum Siculos inclyta titulis, factis ingentibus toto 
in or be clarior. Varios cequa inente fortunes casus 
experta, far prosperis major adversis, cumulatis 
Christiana pietate bellicis laudibus fortem Domino 
reddidit animam mortem eluctata in suoflorum campo 
ad Nicomediensem Bytliynice sinwn. Anno salutis 
MDCGIIL, cetatis LX., die XVIII Februarii. 

Here rests from her heroic labours a woman of 
masculine spirit, the glory of her sex and of her 
century, the illustrious Lady Helena Zrinyi, the 
last ornament of the families of Zrinyi and Fran- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 397 

gepani, and the worthy wife of Tokoli, and formerly 
of Eakoczi, great by her titles in Croatia, Transyl- 
vania, and Szeklerland, but still greater by her. 
deeds of world-wide renown. Having with un- 
shaken firmness borne all the changes of fortune, 
modest in prosperity and rising above adversity, 
uniting Christian piety with warlike fame, she gave 
back her soul to her Maker at her country seat 
near Mcomedia, in Bythynia, where she died on 
the 18th of February, 1703, aged sixty. 



Sic requiescit FRANCiscTJsII.EAKOCzi,Z)^ym^ 
electus Transylvania Princeps, Partium Regni Sun- 
garice Dominus et Siculorum Comes ; cetatis sues XII. 
amatre avulsus, miro Divince providentice or dine per 
carceres, per exilia et per varia vitas discrimina 
ductus, Mc requiescenti matri per mortem redditus. 
Quietem quam vivus ignoravit in Domino reperit anno 
Salutis MDCCXXXV. octava Aprili% cetatis suce 
LIX. 

Here rests Francis Eakoczi II., by the grace 
of God, Prince of Transylvania, Lord of Part of 
Hungary and Count of the Szeklers. Having in his 
twelfth year been torn from his mother, he was by 
the will of Divine Providence after long imprison- 
ment, exile, and other vicissitudes of life, reunited 
in death with her, whose remains likewise rest here. 



398 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

The peace which in life he knew not, he found in 
the Lord on the 8th of April in the year of Salva- 
tion, 1735, aged fifty-nine. 



Hie requiescit ab heroicis laboribus celsissimus 
Dominus Emebicits Tokoli de Kesmabk, Hun- 
garice et Transilvanics JPrinceps, vir a rebus pro 
asserenda Patrice libertate fortiter gestis tota 
Europa Celebris; post varios fortunes casus tandem 
extorris inter ipsam renascentis Hungarice libertatis 
spem exilii simul at vitce jinem fecit in Asia ad 
JVicomediensem Bythynice sinum in suoflorum cairipo. 
Obiit anno Salutis MDCCV., cetatis suce XLVIL, 
die 13#. Septembris. 

Here rests from his heroic labours the illustrious 
Lord Emeric Tokoli de Kesmark, Prince of Hun- 
gary and Transylvania, a man renowned throughout 
Europe for his achievements, during his attempts 
to liberate hfc country. After experiencing diverse 
chauges of fortune death surprised him, while 
cherishing the hope of seeing Hungary once more 
free. He died in exile at his country seat near 
Nicomedia, in Bythynia, Asia, in the year of Salva- 
tion, 1705, on the 13th of September, aged forty- 
seven. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 399 



CHAPTEE XVIII. 

THE NEW EEA. 

The centuries of struggle for the national exist- 
ence of Hungary were followed by a period which 
may justly be called one of retrogression ; inasmuch 
as it presents the melancholy picture of the nobles, 
formerly so patriotic and liberal, pursuing a suici- 
dal course, by lending their powerful support to 
maintain the Austrian dynasty upon the Hunga- 
rian throne. It was not until the second quarter 
of the nineteenth century that many of them with- 
drew from the baneful influence of the court, and 
in right earnest attempted to improve the position 
of the people by means of salutary reforms, which 
on a sudden assumed, in form and effects, a Euro- 
pean importance, when the aristocracy, with a self- 
sacrifice worthy the admiration of the world, ad- 
mitted the entire nation within the precincts of the 
constitution. 

The impulse to these momentous events, which 
produced a new era in the political life of Hun- 



400 EUEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

gary, was given by Count Stephen Szecsenyi. 
This noble patriot's first outcry for reform was to 
the development of his country what the shot of the 
Alpine hunter is to the loosening of an avalanche. 
His uncommon practical sense, his fertility in re- 
sources to farther his designs, and his indefatigable 
zeal, acted like so many electric shocks upon the 
spirit of the nation, which, already predisposed, 
eagerly followed the bold leader and gradually 
brought its immense natural strength to bear upon 
the work of its own regeneration. 

Pull of confidence in the final success of his 
schemes, Szecsenyi struck into the path of progress, 
and in 1826 commenced operations with gigantic 
energy and gigantic results. His successful career 
continued during twenty-two years, when the 
force of ensuing convulsions hurled him from the 
zenith of power and glory into the cell of a mad- 
house. 

Szecsenyi began his work by endeavouring to 
awaken in the people a taste for their own language 
and literature. "With the aid of other patriotic 
noblemen he succeeded in forming the Academy of 
Science at Pesth, which in a short time became the 
focus of an extensive literary movement. The 
press he regarded as a not less important engine 
for intellectual culture, and he accordingly took 
great pains to establish it on a footing worthy of 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 401 

the advanced political state of the country. In 
like manner he provided for a suitable meeting- 
place for the educated class from the metropolis, b y 
establishing the magnificent Casino in Pesth on 
the plan of the clubs in London, to which he pre- 
sented a well-selected library. The utility of this 
undertaking was so palpable, that Casinos and Read- 
ing-rooms sprang up in rapid succession in every 
county and town. 

While Szecsenyi thus zealously occupied himself 
with the mental improvement of his countrymen, 
he never for a moment neglected their material 
welfare. He introduced steam vessels on the 
Danube, which, in a mercantile point of view, 
proved of incalculable benefit to his land. He like- 
wise entered into a treaty of commerce with Eng- 
land, and laboured indefatigably, like another Sir 
John Sinclair, for the construction of various means 
of communication, amongst which the splendid sus- 
pension bridge across the Danube, which connects 
the sister cities, Buda and Pesth, takes a promi- 
nent place. These and similar achievements — so 
many monuments of Szecsenyi' s creative genius — 
were hailed with unbounded enthusiasm. Many 
of the old people and the entire youth rushed into 
the new path, carrying along with them the best 
working and inventive elements of the nation, 
and numbering in their ranks the most illustrious 

m m 2 



402 BUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

men of the age, as Yesselenyi, Batty an yi, Karolyi, 
Teleki, &c. 

Neither did their wives remain behind them in 
promoting the cause of reform. The most conspi- 
cuous by birth and wealth were also its foremost 
champions. The names of the noble sisters, the 
Countesses Eattyanyi and Karolyi have become 
household words in the mouths of the people of 
Hungary, and their self-sacrifice and patriotism 
are held up by every mother as models for imitation 
to her children. 

As is usually the case with reformers, the origi- 
nator of this progressive movement was left far 
behind by his more ardent followers, so much so, 
that at a later period Szecsenyi more than once at- 
tempted to keep the powerful and rapid stream 
within the limits he had originally traced for its 
course. All his caution and prudence, however, 
were set at nought by the unexpected events of 
1848. In that year the Genius of Progress on 
his march from the west to the east halted in the 
land of the Magyars, and knocked at the door of 
the Diet, then assembled at Presburg, warning its 
members, through the medium of Kossuth's in- 
spired oratory, that it was high time to redress the 
wrongs and grievances of the oppressed people. 
The Diet, penetrated by the justice of the warning, 
hastened to obey the summons with the utmost 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 403 

entlmsiasm ; notwitlistanding that by so doing they 
were laying the axe at the root of their hitherto 
most cherished privileges and interests. Both 
houses unanimously decided that the venerable 
feudal structure, the aristocratic constitution, 
within whose walls they now sate for the last time, 
and which, though faulty in its proportions, had 
nevertheless, by its solidity, protected the nation 
for a thousand years against the storms of events, 
that that majestic structure should be pulled down, 
and from its ruins, and the new materials at hand, 
a stupendous political edifice be raised, in whose vast 
precincts the entire nation, without distinction of 
language or religion, of position or mental culture, 
would find ample scope for the exercise of their 
social and political immunities. The work was 
carried on with marvellous rapidity and skill. 
While on one side a responsible government, free 
press, trial by jury, perfect equality and tolerance 
of every form of creed were established, on the 
other side, not alone all privileges and titles were 
abolished, but the nobility also renounced their 
lordly and hereditary rights on ground property, 
whereby the heretofore feudal tenures of the 
peasantry became their legitimate freehold pos- 
sessions. 

When this masterpiece of political workmanship 
was accomplished, the august body voluntarily de- 



404 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

scended from their lofty pedestal, to make way 
for the new legislators — for the people. But not 
yet content with this, when the Austrian Dynasty 
sent its armies to raze the recently erected building 
to the ground, the same aristocracy took np arms 
and fought with their wonted transcendant heroism 
at the head of the people, in order to prove with 
what sincerity they had made those sacrifices, and 
how content and prond they felt in their union 
with their former vassals. 

The ensuing contest, though of short duration, 
since it was confined to a ten months' campaign, 
is nevertheless crowded with the most remarkable 
battles and victories ever fought and gained for 
freedom on Hungary's bloodstained fields. The 
principal features of this struggle will be best 
given in the following biography of one of its 
leaders, whose military talents, especially as regards 
strategical sagacity, greatly contributed to cover the 
Hungarian arms with laurels, and to secure the 
enduring interest and admiration of the world for 
the heroic nation of the Magyars. 



FliOM EASTERN EUROPE. 405 



CHAPTER XIX. 

.GEORGE KLAPKA. 

At the period of the late war, when the nation in 
the west had lost all the counties on the right bank 
of the Danube, together with the capital ; in the 
east the whole of Transylvania ; in the north Upper 
Hungary as far as Miskoltz ; and in the south the 
Banat and the Bacska ; until but a few counties 
were left along the banks of the Theiss to afford 
the Magyars a temporary refuge from the ad- 
vancing enemy ; at that momentous period, when 
the news of lost battles and disastrous retreats 
rang like so many death knells through the land, 
the hardest blow at the existence of the nation 
was struck by the defeat of the corps of the Upper 
Theiss at Kaschau, whereby the Austrian General 
Schlick made himself master of the communica- 
tions leading to the Theiss as well as to Debreczen, 
the new seat of Government. The danger had 
never yet been so great, so imminent, neither the 
means to arrest its course so inefficient. There 



406 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

was no fresh army to oppose the advancing foe 
from the north ; and of the chiefs, who at that time 
were at the disposal of Government, not one would 
venture to lead the corps of the Upper Theiss, 
which, in its demoralised state, promised no possi- 
ble guarantee for future success. In this emer- 
gency Kossuth offered the command to a young 
officer, chief of the general staff department in the 
war office, who had already distinguished himself 
both by remarkable military attainments and ex- 
alted patriotism, and who unhesitatingly accepted 
the onerous post. The choice fell upon the right 
man : upon George Klapka, the subject of our 
present sketch. 

Kossuth, in one of his despatches, wrote thus to 
Klapka : " General, you possess a Roman charac- 
ter ; and I respect in you, not only a gallant war- 
rior, but a citizen animated by the love of liberty." 
This favourable opinion was fully borne out by the 
public acts of that excellent leader. Klapka pos- 
sesses indeed a Eoman character, in which the 
sterner qualities of a warrior are happily blended 
with the gentler social virtues, and though ranking 
amongst the foremost of the actors in a drama 
where austerity and unflinching energy were best 
calculated to raise a man above the multitude ; 
nevertheless, even in the height of turmoil, his 
deeds were invariably marked by urbanity, kind- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 407 

ness, and magnanimity. Klapka' s appearance like- 
wise bears the impress of his noble mind. Lofty 
and elegant in figure, with a high thoughtful brow, 
and dark eyes, expressive at once of deep feeling 
and of genius ; frank and courteous in manner, and 
animated in converse, he irresistibly wins at first 
sight. 

As one of the youngest of the military chiefs in 
Hungary, Klapka had often the misfortune of being 
placed under men who, though older and higher in 
rank, were far below him in point of ability and 
foresight. In spite of this disadvantage, the lustre 
of his superior qualities shone forth whenever the 
exigency of the moment called them into play ; and 
as often as he was left to act independently, as was 
the case in the beginning and at the end of his 
higher command, he showed what he could do, and 
what he would have done had not fate — for the 
bime at least — so suddenly terminated his short, 
but brilliant career. 

G-eorge Klapka, the senior of a noble family, 
was born on the 7th of April, 1820, at Temesvar, 
where his father was for many years burgomaster 
of the town. Even in the pastimes and occupa- 
tions of his early youth Klapka exhibited an un- 
usual inclination for the profession in which he 
afterwards so eminently distinguished himself. His 
talent for mathematics and his quickness of memory 



408 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

were most surprising. For example, he would re- 
repeat by heart a row of twenty or more figures in 
the same order in which they had been dictated to 
him, without mistake or hesitation. These, as well 
as other like circumstances, induced his father to 
educate him for the military profession. 

Having concluded his studies in the Gymnasium 
at Temesvar, Klapka was sent, in his fifteenth 
year, to the Artillery School at Vienna, which, after 
a course of three years, he quitted with the repu- 
tation of having been one of its most distinguished 
pupils. As a mark of honour his name was em- 
blazoned in gold and framed, and may still be seen 
hanging from the walls of the examination hall. 
In 1842 he entered the Hungarian Noble Guard 
with the rank of sub-lieutenant, and there com- 
pleted his military education, together with several 
comrades, who in the subsequent struggle attained 
historical fame. 

While still in the Noble Guard Klapka was in- 
vited by an agent of the Prince of Lahore to take 
service in India as a colonel of artillery. An attack 
of typhus, however, which confined him for months 
to his bed, prevented him from giving a decisive 
answer. 

In 1847 he left the Noble Guard, and was pro- 
moted to the rank of lieutenant in the Austrian 
army. Eager for action and improvement, he soon 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 409 

became weary of the monotonous life of a garrison, 
and in the course of the same year quitted the ser- 
vice for the purpose of travelling in the east. On 
his way thither the news of the revolutionary 
events in Trance overtook him. He instantly re- 
traced his steps, rightly presuming that the elec- 
tric shock in Paris would he felt in his own 
country. 

On his arrival at Pesth he joined the newly 
established Reform Club, and there, conjointly with 
other patriots, worked indefatigably in the forma- 
tion of a national army. At the tidings of the re- 
bellion amongst the Serbians he entered the event- 
ful path which in a short time led him to the 
summit of military renown. In June 1848, he 
petitioned for a commission in one of the Honved 
battalions, and was appointed captain of the sixth 
by the Palatine Archduke Stephan. As such 
Klapka marched against the Serbians, and took 
part in several engagements. Tet scarcely had the 
Austrian Generals, who at that time had the com- 
mand of the Hungarian troops, remarked his 
rapidly unfolding talent and patriotic zeal, than 
they sent him on a mission to another part of 
the country, as a pretext to remove him from the 
theatre of war. At the crisis, in September, he 
was called back to Pesth by Count Louis Battyanyi, 
who promoted him to the rank of major, and in- 

N N 



410 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

trusted him with the important post of securing 
Comorn at any price for the nation. Klapka ful- 
filled his trust so successfully, that Jelachich, on 
his retreat past the fortress, found the gates closed, 
and the Hungarian tricolor floating on its ram- 
parts. 

During the advance of the Hungarians into 
Austria, and the ensuing battles, Klapka was occu- 
pied in fortifying Presburgh, and after a short 
sojourn there was appointed chief of the general 
staff of the army in the south. There, conjointly 
with the Generals Yetter and. Kiss, he drew up a 
plan for capturing the numerous entrenched camps 
of the Serbians, and carried it out with such skill 
and energy that by the middle of September the 
entire Eanat was cleared of the rebels. 

On Gb'rgey's retreat from the Upper Danube to 
Buda-Pesth, Klapka was recalled to the capital, 
and named chief of the General Staff section in 
the Ministry of War. In this capacity he pro- 
posed the plan for the subsequent operations, 
which consisted in the gradual retreat of the 
armies without coming to a decisive battle, and 
the diverting of the enemy's attention from the 
line of the Theiss. The punctual execution of this 
admirable design greatly contributed to avert the 
then impending destruction of Hungary's political 
independence. 



EEOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 411 

At this time the tidings of the defeat at Kaschau 
arrived at Debreczen, the seat of Government, and 
Meszaros was replaced by Klapka in the command 
of the corps of the Upper Theiss. " Hold out but for 
fourteen days and you will save the country," said 
Kossuth to Klapka on his departure. The new com- 
mander did more — he defeated the enemy. We 
now for the first time see Klapka in the position 
of an independent leader; but the position was 
not an enviable one. The circumstances under 
which he commenced his operations as such 
were of so difficult a nature, and the moral and 
physical impediments with which his every step 
was beset so multifarious and great, that perhaps 
only a man with military genius and unflinching 
confidence such as Klapka' s could have success- 
fully overcome them all. 

On his arrival at Tokaj, the then head quarters 
of his corps, on the 12th of January, 1849, he 
found but the skeletons of eight battalions, chiefly 
recruits, three companies of Poles, seven escadrons 
of hussars, and thirty guns. Demoralisation 
reigned on all sides. There were but few expe- 
rienced officers, and of these the oldest in rank 
were disaffected at the appointment of so young 
a man as Klapka. The latter, however, soon con- 
vinced them that he was in every respect their 
superior ; so much so, that after the first engage- 



412 ET7EAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

ment they were one and all transformed into his 
warmest admirers. He rapidly re-organised the 
troops, introduced strict discipline, and in a few 
days already stood at the head of a small corps 
prepared for the combat. It was fortunate that 
Schlick had granted the Hungarians sufficient time 
for the re-forming of their ranks ; since, instead 
of following up his victory at Kaschau, and of 
rapidly advanciug across the Theiss, he waited for 
two weeks until he had received considerable re- 
inforcements from "Windischgratz. At length, on 
the 22nd of January, Schlick made his appearance 
in an impenetrable fog, which entirely masked his 
movements. He directed his attack with two 
brigades against the left w T ing of the Hungarians 
at Tarczal, a small town at the foot of the Tokaj 
Mountain. There, on a rising ground, Klapka 
stood with three battalions, four escadrons, and 
nine guns. The fog was so thick, that the action 
had scarcely commenced when all arms were at 
once pele-mele engaged in it. The first report of 
the cannon was quickly followed by an attack of 
the cavalry, and a close fight with the bayonet. 
In the midst of the unavoidable confusion Schlick 
for three hours battered the line of the Hunga- 
rians. But all his efforts were in vain. He was 
victoriously repulsed on all sides, and, like his 
namesake, who a hundred and fifty years before 



EBOM EASTEEN EUKOPE. 413 

had been defeated on the same spot and under 
similar circumstances by Rakoczi, the Austrian 
General was now compelled to retire from the 
field. At the moment the last Austrian columns 
disappeared from the horizon the fog dispersed, 
and the setting sun lighted up a battle-field strewn 
with the corpses of the enemy. A simultaneous 
attack of the Austrians upon Klapka's right wing, 
at Keresztur had been likewise successfully sus- 
tained. However unimportant the battle of Tar- 
czal was as regards its material results, it had, 
nevertheless, an extraordinary moral effect upon 
the Honveds who, after a series of losses, could 
at length boast of one advantage over a hitherto 
victorious as well as numerically superior adver- 
sary. That day established the confidence of the 
Honveds in their leader, and also in themselves ; and 
thus the path to fresh conquests and victories was 
.opened. 

But notwithstanding his first success, Klapka, 
though young and impatient to deal heavier blows 
at the Austrians, was cautious enough not to risk 
the existence of his corps on a single cast of the die 
in the face of an enemy who mustered 13,000 men, 
almost double the number of his own corps. In- 
stead, therefore, of venturing on an inconsiderate 
pursuit, he remained in the vicinity of Tokaj, 
exercising his troops day and night, and im- 

N N 2 



414 KTJEAL AND HISTOEICAL GLEANINGS 

patiently awaiting the succour that had been pro- 
mised him. 

Finding that he was not pursued, Schlick re- 
traced his steps, and on the 31st of January with 
the whole of his forces made another desperate 
effort to conquer the Hungarian position at Tokaj, 
and thus open the road to Debreczen. Klapka 
awaited the enemy on the left bank of the Theiss 
behind the town. In the course of the afternoon 
Schlick advanced in two columns, and opened a 
violent cannonade, replied to by a well directed 
fire from the Hungarian batteries, which rapidly 
developed itself along the entire line. The Aus- 
trians, under cover of their fire, formed their 
storming columns, and, after they had dislodged 
the small garrison from the town, they crossed 
the frozen river and attacked the Hungarians upon 
the left bank. There, however, they encountered 
such a determined resistance, that after a pro- 
tracted and sanguinary conflict they were com- 
pelled to fall back on all points. On that day 
Klapka accustomed his Honveds to face a heavy 
fire steadily, and for a length of time ; personally 
leading battalion after battalion, battery after bat- 
tery into the line, and thereby displaying a pre- 
sence of mind and bravery which must have in* 
spired his soldiers to a man with undaunted cou- 
rage. While his battalions relieved each other, 



FKOM EASTEEN EUEOPE. 415 

Klapka, mounted upon a white charger, remained 
in the midst of the Tiralleurs during the entire 
engagement, a mark for a thousand bullets. On 
that day the Honveds bestowed on him the sur- 
name of "the Tiralleur General," which he re- 
tained throughout the campaign. 

At the approach of twilight Klapka went over 
to the offensive, and drove away the Austrians, 
both from the right bank of the Theiss and the 
town ; his hussars pursuing the fugitive enemy 
during the entire night. 

Scarcely, however, had this able leader adorned the 
Hungarian arms with the first laurels of that cam- 
paign, than the Government placed him under the 
old Polish General, Dembinski, who had been ap- 
pointed to the chief command of all the Hungarian 
forces along the Theiss. 

While Klapka was fettered in his operations, 
Gorgey descended from the mountains in Northern 
Hungary and unexpectedly appeared in the flank 
of Schlick, who might thus have easily been anni- 
hilated between the two corps. But the favourable 
opportunity was lost by Dembinski's indecision. 
Klapka could not prevail on him to make a com- 
bined attack upon Schlick ; and while Dembinski 
wavered and wearied the troops by useless marches 
to and from Miskoltz, Schlick, having been again 
defeated by Klapka in an arriere-garde engage- 



416 ETTKAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

merit at Hidasnemeti, slipped away, without sustain- 
ing further loss. 

Towards the middle of February Dembinski 
commenced operations with the corps of Klapka 
and Gorgey, to oppose the Austrians in their ad- 
vance from Pesth ; Klapka thereby leading the 
van. In the vicinity of Erlau the latter surprised two 
escadrons of cuirassiers so successfully, that the 
greater part of them were either cut down or taken 
prisoners. A second and still more important sur- 
prise had been planned by that indefatigable leader 
against one of Schlick's divisions, who, entangled 
in the difficult denies of the Matra Mountains, 
moved slowly onwards parallel with the Hungarians, 
intent on effecting a junction with Windischgratz. 
Having received reliable intelligence of the diffi- 
cult situation of the Austrians beyond the Matra, 
Klapka presently resolved to attempt an unex- 
pected attack upon them by means of one of the 
mountain passes. He accordingly dispatched a 
strong detachment to scour the country, and was 
himself about to follow with a division, when he 
received a counter order from Dembinski, which 
compelled him to renounce his splendid scheme, 
when already half achieved. For, the detached 
column had, at dawn, on the 27th of February, 
stealthily fallen upon the sleeping Austrians in 
their quarters at Petervasar, and by its sudden ap- 



FEOM EASTERN EUROPE. " 417 

pearance spread such terror and confusion amongst 
them, that, instead of attempting to resist, they 
sought safety in the most disorderly flight. As, 
however, no aid arrived, the Honveds turned 
round in the middle of the village, and fell back 
unmolested, taking a couple of hundred prisoners 
with them. The van of the Hungarian army in 
short marches reached Kapolna, ten miles beyond 
Erlau, and there deployed along the Tarna river, 
when Windischgratz with 40,000 men aud 200 guns 
appeared from (ryongoys, and immediately opened 
a heavy cannonade upon the Honveds. At this 
moment not one half of the main army of 36,000 
men and 160 guns, commanded by Dembinski, was 
concentrated on the threatened point ; as G-orgey's 
divisions were yet several miles behind the battle- 
field. The right wing of the small force which 
faced the enemy was commanded by Klapka. It 
consisted of a division of his own corps, with which 
he stood in Yerpeleth, at a distance of three miles 
from the centre. The main object of his task was 
to watch the pass of the Matra, by which Schlick 
was most likely to hasten to the support of Win- 
dischgratz, whose attack on that day chiefly con- 
sisted in attempts to break through the centre. 
Towards evening he discontinued operations, so 
that overnight both parties remained in possession 
of the hotly-contested field. 



418 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

At the beginning of the battle Dembinski was at 
Erlau, and on the receipt of the news thereof im- 
mediately set out for the scene of action, and des- 
patched orders for Grorgey's advance. It was, 
however, physically impossible for the latter to 
come up in time. Thus, on the morning of the 
27th of February, the action began afresh under 
constantly-increasing disadvantages for the Hun- 
garians. At that time the numbers of the Austrians 
were already swelled by Schlick's corps, who had 
forced the pass of Sirok, and at break of day de- 
scended into the Tarna valley, to throw the weight 
of his troops into the balance of the wavering con- 
test. At the outlets of the defile he encountered 
Klapka, who at the head of three thousand men 
defended his post step by step against the over- 
whelming hostile forces. After a severe contest of 
two hours the Austrians succeeded in dislodging 
him from Yerpeleth. But having rallied his bat- 
talions, Klapka undertook a vigorous assault to re- 
conquer the village. He pressed with a storming 
column into the main street and continued to push 
forward, when his horse was killed under him. At 
the sight of his fall the Honveds began to waver 
and to retreat, which compelled their commander 
to quit the village, though one of the last to do so. 

The Austrians, taking advantage of this mo- 
mentary disorder, debouched from Verpeleth in 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 419 

strong cavalry columns and attacked Klapka' s po- 
sition behind the village, who sent three escadrons 
of hussars to charge them. The horsemen dashed 
against each other in a furious onset, swaying to 
and fro in the terrible melee like a gigantic whirl- 
wind. As the struggle proved too unequal, Klapka 
ordered the reserve to come up to the support of 
his cavalry. But the enemy's horse having also 
been augmented by a fresh division, their shock at 
length decided the combat. The hussars, though 
they performed wonders of bravery, began to give 
way and to seek shelter behind the infantry and 
the guns, which had now to sustain the whole 
weight of the assault. This was about midday. 
At this critical moment a division led by Grorgey 
himself hastened to the aid of the right wing, which 
not only re-established the balance of the battle, 
but also cleared the open space before the village 
of the enemy's horse. Hereupon Gorgey took the 
command of the entire force and despatched Klapka 
to bring up the second division of his corps, which 
was on its march from Erlau. 

"While the right wing had so hard a struggle to 
maintain the ground, the fate of the day was de- 
cided in the centre, where Dembinski directed ope- 
rations in person. But spite of his personal 
bravery, with only four battalions at his disposal, 
he could not resist the reiterated assaults of so 



420 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

superior an enemy. All his exertions were to no 
purpose. He was driven from Kapolna, and on 
leading a battalion of Italians to reconquer the vil- 
lage it was completely destroyed. Nothing re- 
mained for him but to beat a retreat along the 
whole line, which was accomplished in tolerable 
order, owing to the support of Gorgey's divisions 
which had just then arrived. 

"When Klapka returned with the remnant of his 
corps, he found the right wing likewise in full re- 
treat, and thus was only able to protect their flank 
from being turned by Schlick. 

On the following day the army was concentrated 
at Kovesd, whence Dembinski, after defeating the 
Austrians in an arriere-garde engagement, resolved 
to recross the Theiss ; spite of the entreaties of the 
sub-commanders", who, aware of the excellent spirit 
of their troops, would have preferred an attack 
upon the Austrians to a disgraceful retreat. At 
the ensuing retrogade movement, whereby the 
whole army became entangled in the bogs of the 
Theiss, the most difficult part of the manoeuvre, 
the leading of the rear guard, fell to Klapka' s 
share. Having been ordered to protect the passage 
over the Erlau river, he took up a disadvantageous 
position at Egerfarmos, and in face of a powerful 
enemy executed the hazardous task with astonish- 
ing skill and with comparatively trifling losses 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 421 

amongst his men. When the exhausted horses 
and oxen could no longer proceed along the road, 
which, owing to a sudden thaw, was gradually 
transformed into a sea of mud, the devoted Honveds 
attached themselves to the guns and ammunition 
carts, and dragged them through the formidable 
defile. While the repeated breaking in of the 
bridge over the Erlau river greatly retarded 
their crossing, Klapka stood in defence of the 
point in the midst of the iron showers poured in 
upon him from six Austrian batteries drawn up 
opposite in a half-circle. Though the swampy 
nature of the ground scarcely permitted the unlim- 
bering of a few guns, his firm and dauntless atti- 
tude inspired the enemy with such respect that 
they dared not approach him even in his desperate 
position. The passage, as well as the cannonade, 
lasted till evening, when at length, after indescrib- 
able difficulties and hardships, the retreat was suc- 
cessfully effected. The next morning Klapka 
joined the army, which on the succeeding day 
crossed the Theiss at FUred. 

Dembinski's gross mistakes during his short 
command, and their detrimental consequences, were 
so palpable, that the sub-commanders found it ne- 
cessary to convene a council of war of all the staff 
officers of the army, who unanimously resolved, 
that, as Dembinski's inaptness for the chief com- 

o o 



422 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

mand so imminently endangered the existence of 
the army, and thus likewise that of the country, 
the command should no longer be left in his hands. 
They forthwith acquainted the Government of these 
facts as well as of their resolution, and petitioned 
the appointment of another commander-in-chief. 
At this juncture Kossuth hastened to Fured, and 
having convinced himself as to the justness of the 
complaint against Dembinski, appointed General 
Vetter in his stead ; and when the latter was unable 
to remain at his post owing to a sudden attack of 
illness, General Gb'rgey, towards the end of March 
1849, was named his successor. 

The troops confided to this leader, whose name 
has since then been so justly identified with all 
that is disgraceful to a man and to a patriot, con- 
sisted of the First, Second, Third, and Seventh 
corps, numbering 40,000 men, 8000 horse and 180 
guns, and comprising the flower of the Hungarian 
forces. 

A severe winter's campaign had already inured 
the Honveds to the hardships of war, and several 
recent victories made them impatient to add fresh 
laurels to those already gathered. Thus animated 
by an hereditary martial spirit, and led on by expe- 
rienced Generals, they crossed the Theiss at two 
points, and pressed forward with irresistible power 
on the path of glory and triumph, chasing the 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 423 

enemy's main army before them from the Steppes 
as far as the borders of Austria. 

The brilliant achievements performed in this re- 
markable series of victories were chiefly the work 
of Klapka and Damjanich, whose heroic forms soar 
far above even those of their gallant comrades. The 
former was commander of the First, and the 
latter of the Third corps. These Grenerals were 
united both by the ties of patriotism and of inti- 
mate friendship ; and thus carried on their splendid 
operations in perfect harmony and without the in- 
terference of Gorgey, who, feeling his inferiority, 
left the execution of the plans entirely in their 
hands. 

Although Damjanich possessed neither the genius 
of Klapka in planning extensive operations, nor 
Bern's rapidity in pursuing his successes, still in 
arranging a battle and in carrying out a bold design, 
he was equalled by few and surpassed by none. 
His cool determined prowess never recoiled before 
an obstacle however great, and in all his numerous 
encounters with Serbians and Austrians he fought 
no battle, engaged in no conflict, in which he did 
not come off victoriously. 

His martial appearance alone sufficed to raise 
the spirits of the Honveds, and fill them with con- 
fidence and enthusiasm. Of a proud and stately 
figure, with a magnificent head and a countenance 



424 EUEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

full of vigour and nobility, he inspired at the same 
time esteem and fear, his mere presence exercis- 
ing a sort of tacitly acknowledged superiority over 
those around him. His luxuriant black beard 
heightened still farther the dignity of his port, 
and his flashing eyes told of a stern and unflinch- 
ing will. Hi3 character was honest and generous, 
sometimes rough, but never unjust, and only se- 
vere when wanton cruelties, such as those of the 
Serbians against the unoffending Hungarian and 
German inhabitants, aroused his patriotic wrath. 

Having advanced as far as G-yongyos without 
meeting the enemy, who occupied the important 
line of the Zagyva river, Klapka drew up a bold 
plan to throw the whole army upon the right wing 
of the Austrians. The latter seeing themselves out- 
flanked, voluntarily abandoned their position and 
fell back upon Gddollo. 

The first encounter, after the advance upon 
Pesth had commenced, took place on the 4th of 
April, when Klapka, during his march through the 
bogs of the Tapio river, was suddenly attacked 
near Tapio-Eicske, and thrown into momentary 
confusion. At the news of his critical situation, 
Damjanich hastened with a division to his support. 

Not withstanding that only a small and long 
defile led to the bridge, the key to the enemy's 
position, which was protected by numerous sharp- 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 425 

shooters and guns, Damjanich, at the head of the 
third and ninth battalions, advanced upon the dike 
at a firm and steady pace, in the midst of a furious 
fire of grape and grenades. The enemy, unable 
long to resist the impetus of the charge, gave way ; 
the bridge was carried, and six guns re- captured. 

After a retreat of about sixty miles the Aus- 
trians at last resolved to wage a decisive battle 
previous to giving up the metropolis. For this 
purpose they concentrated their forces on the 
heights of Godollo and Isaszeg, under the personal 
command of Windischgratz. The First and Third 
corps of the Hungarians, on their march along 
the road of Isaszeg, fell in at noontide on the 6th 
of April with the enemy, who, headed by Jelachich, 
had taken up a formidable position on the steep 
and commanding hills behind Isaszeg. In spite 
of the disadvantages of the ground, which was 
broken by deep ravines, and covered with thick 
brushwood and forests, which in several places had 
been set on fire ; notwithstanding the superior 
forces of the Austrians, Klapka and Damjanich, 
after a short consultation, decided to attack them 
without delay. The First corps, which formed 
the vanguard, commenced debouching through the 
forest at the left of the road, under the cover of 
the Tiralleurs, who were already engaged in a 
spirited skirmish with the Croats of Jelachich. 

oo2 



426 EUKAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

Damjanich deployed to the right, and opened a 
well-directed fire upon the Ban's left wing. As 
soon as the Hungarians in their pursuit of the 
receding Croats had reached the clearing before 
Isaszeg, a destructive fire was poured in upon 
them from several of the enemy's batteries, 
mounted on the brow of a ridge behind that 
place, which however did not impede Klapka in 
bringing up his artillery, and in sending his storm- 
ing columns against the village. There a stern 
conflict at the point of the bayonet ensued. The 
Austrians contested their ground with surprising 
courage ; yet the Honveds, though several times 
repulsed, carried the principal houses, and, in face 
of an outnumbering force, kept their position with 
an intensity of devotion and contempt of death 
seldom witnessed. 

Meanwhile the battle developed itself along the 
whole line. Damjanich not only supported Klapka 
in the unequal contest ; but at the head of his 
brave battalions descended the slopes of the valley 
which separated him from the enemy's position, and 
with his wonted coolness and intrepidity led them 
to the charge against a line of thirty guns. The 
enemy, startled at such boldness, began to waver, 
when about two o'clock p.m., in the right flank and 
rear of Damjanich, strong columns were descried 
rapidly advancing. He was left but a short time 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 427 

in doubt as to the identity of the new comers ; the 
balls that soon ploughed his ranks showing that 
the enemy had received a fresh reinforcement. It 
was the corps of Schlick, who, with his 18,000 
men, had hastened from Godollo to the scene of 
action, and thus unexpectedly turned the balance 
of the battle. Damjanich, all at once assailed from 
two sides, was unable to bear up under so formid- 
able a cross fire, and fell back slowly and in excel- 
lent order, presenting an imposing front to the 
enemy. At the same time he detached eight es- 
cadrons of hussars against the advancing Austrian 
cavalry, who, without coming to close action, 
kept them in awe until the infantry had reached 
the borders of the wood, where that General was 
determined to hold out to the last. In vain the 
enemy brought up column after column to storm 
the wood ; in vain they showered upon its valiant 
defenders grape, grenades, rockets, and missiles 
of every kind. The attacks rebounded from the 
heroic breasts of the Honveds, and never did Dam- 
janich display such perseverance and bravery as on 
that day when, surrounded by a hundred deaths, 
he stood invulnerable and unconquered amongst 
the Tiralleurs like a granite rock encompassed by 
furious but impotent waves. 

At the appearance of Schlick, Jelachich threw 
his whole force upon Klapka, and drove him back 



428 BUBAL AND BIISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

from the village as well as from the clearings ; yet 
no farther success could he gain against that young 
but skilful General. Undaunted by an enemy so 
superior in number, and by the havoc amongst his 
men, who were mowed down rank after rank, 
Klapka opposed a glorious resistance to their im- 
petuous exertions, setting the most noble example 
of heroism to his soldiers. 

There is scarcely a doubt that at last the enemy, 
with their twofold numbers, would have over- 
powered the Hungarians had not the approach of 
the Second corps, about six o'clock p.m., under 
the command of General Aulich, again changed 
the fate of the day. The joyous tidings of the 
arrival of the reserve spread like lightning along 
the line and filled every Honved with fresh ardour. 
The battle at once assumed a new aspect. Whilst 
Aulich with his batteries and the cavalry took up a 
position in the centre, opening a ruinous fire upon 
the enemy, and dispatching his battalions to the 
succour of the two battered wings, the Hungarians 
simultaneously bore down the slopes, charging the 
Austrian line with irresistible power. The latter, 
unprepared for such a turn in affairs, could not 
long withstand the assault, but gave up their posi- 
tion, retreating under cover of night to Godollo, 
five miles behind the battle-field. This, the most 
bloody and most decisive of the battles during that 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 429 

campaign, had an extremely demoralising influence 
on the Austrians. They had no courage to wage 
a second engagement before Pesth, and fell back 
upon that town in order to secure, in case of need, 
a safe retreat to the right bank of the Danube. 
This victory gained Klapka the rank of General. 

On the evening of the battle at Isaszeg, Kossuth 
joined the army at Godollo, and there on the fol- 
lowing morning, with the unanimous consent of 
the Generals, he resolved to propose to the Diet 
the deposition of the perjured Austrian dynasty 
from the Hungarian throne. 

At Godollo a plan was also drawn up for further 
operations, which, with the aid of three corps, 
were to be continued on the left bank of the 
Danube for the relief of the fortress of Comorn, 
then besieged by the Austrians. Leaving the 
Second corps and the division of the gallant 
Colonel Kmetty to demonstrate against Pesth, the 
main army hastened to accomplish its admirable, 
though difficult task. At "Waitzen they met an 
Austrian corps of 12,000 men. The two Generals 
at once resolved to advance upon them. Damjanich 
was to charge in front, while a brigade of the First 
corps made a circuit through the mountain to fall 
upon their rear. The position of the Austrians, 
who awaited the Hungarians in battle array upon 
a range of hills before the town, was exceedingly 



430 ETJEAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

advantageous, their right wing resting on the 
Danube and their left on the mountain. 

The first onset, led by Colonel Yisocki, re- 
bounded from the steady defence and raking fire of 
the enemy, and even when resumed met with no 
better result ; whereupon the heroic Colonel Charles 
Eoldvary, putting himself at the head of the third 
battalion, commenced a fresh attack, breaking like 
an iron wedge through the centre of the Aus- 
trians. The breach thus made was widened by 
other battalions, who followed in the track of the 
third, driving the enemy, with the loss of several 
field-pieces, at the point of the bayonet before 
them. At the entrance of the town the latter 
again stood at bay. There a fierce engagement 
took place, which lasted for an hour, until at the 
fall of the Austrian commander his soldiers turned 
back and fled in the direction of Gran, pursued by 
the cavalry of Klapka's brigade, which was sent to 
attack them in the rear. 

The continual advance and victories of the till 
then despised Honveds, filled the Austrians with 
apprehensions of a serious nature. They despatched 
reinforcements from Olmiitz as well as from Vienna 
to the scene of war, under a new commander, General 
Wolgemuth, renowned for the part he had taken 
in the Italian campaign. This General appeared 
on the stage with an army of 26,000 men, to oppose 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 431 

the progress of the Hungarians, taking up a posi- 
tion on the heights behind Nagy-Sarlo, after he 
had quietly permitted the latter to cross the swollen 
Gran river. 

The two Hungarian corps as usual marched 
together. Klapka, who led the van, first dis- 
covered the enemy, and made a plan of attack, 
which being approved of by Damjanich, they gave 
the signal for a combined advance in three columns 
upon the village, which was apparently the key to 
the enemy's position. 

It was not the custom of the Honveds during 
that campaign to spend much of their time in 
firing ; the onset once commenced changed rapidly 
into a combat with the bayonet. This was the 
case at Nagy-Sarlo. The guns of the enemy before 
the village were soon dislodged by the batteries of 
the Third corps ; and the battalions marched on to 
the storm whilst singing national melodies. The 
result of half an hour's hard struggle was the con- 
quest of the moiety of the village. But the enemy 
continued to send fresh troops to the aid of their 
receding comrades, and thus the contest became 
more and more sanguinary and obstinate; in 
every house, yard, and street there was a separate 
and protracted fight, sustained on the part of the 
Austrians by the raking fire of their batteries from 
the surrounding hills; nevertheless, the Hunga- 



432 RURAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

rians in the end succeeded in entirely dislodging 
the enemy from Nagy-Sarlo. 

Meanwhile the two Generals collected their 
troops in the streets to lead them to a deci- 
sive onset against the enemy's position on the ad- 
jacent heights, from whence their guns continued 
to plough the valley below with balls and grenades. 
This movement was protected by the batteries of 
the Third corps, who had already debouched from 
the village, and began to return the fire of the 
Austrians. They not only facilitated the deploy- 
ing of the troops, but also frustrated the advance 
of the dragoons, who made a hazardous dash against 
a battery of the First corps. 

At this time, four o'clock, p.m., the tete of a 
cavalry column appeared on the left wing of the 
Hungarians, advancing at full speed against the 
line of the enemy. They were the hussars of the 
Seventh corps, who, on hearing the roar of the 
cannonade, came up to support the main army ; 
and now, conjointly with Nagy Sandor's hussars, 
fell upon the enemy's horse drawn up on the plain 
below the heights. This was the favourable mo- 
ment for a general assault. The storming drums 
resounded along the whole line, and the battalions, 
formed into columns, advanced to close the day's 
work. Neither the fatigue, the galling fire, nor 
the steep acclivities prevented the Honveds from 



EEOM EASTEKE" ETJEOPE. 433 

scaling the heights before them, which in a few 
minutes were carried, and the enemy put to flight. 
From the conquered eminence the army enjoyed a 
magnificent spectacle ; in front the flying Austrian 
infantry, and on the left in the plain a grand at- 
tack of fourteen escadrons of hussars upon their 
whole cavalry. After a fierce melee, the Austrians 
turned and fled, leaving their guns and infantry at 
the mercy of the victors. Night alone put a stop 
to the pursuit of the fugitives, who in order not to 
be impeded in their flight, had thrown off their 
spatterdashes, which were found in heaps along 
the roads they had taken. 

"Whilst, however, the main army consulted its 
safety in flight, all on a sudden a cannonade sprang 
up in the rear of the Hungarians, and a column of 
Austrians — the brigade of Herzinger — commenced 
debouching from the forest of JSTagy-Sarld. Klapka 
presently led two battalions and a battery against 
them, and after a spirited skirmish, compelled them 
to follow in the track of their army, for whose sup- 
port they had arrived too late. 

After the battle of Nagy-Sarld no farther impe- 
diments existed to the advance of the Hungarians 
under the walls of Comorn, which was accomplished 
on the 22nd of April, when the vanguard of the 
First corps entered the fortress amidst the thun- 
der of the cannons of both friend and foe; the 

p p 



434 RURAL A15TD HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

latter still being in possession of the right bank of 
the Danube, and not sparing their balls in giving 
a warm greeting to the new comers. 

The concluding scenes in the campaign of 
April — not less admirable than the foregoing — 
were performed during the night and morning of 
the 26th by the storming of the enemy's ap- 
proaches on the right bank, and in the battle con- 
nected with it. 

The plan for that magnificent feat of arms — the 
surprise of the approaches — was drawn up by 
Klapka and executed by the elite battalions of the 
First, Third, and Eighth corps. The troops des- 
tined for that purpose noiselessly crossed the 
Danube in large boats, on the evening of the 25th, 
and after midnight, without even loading their 
muskets, commenced an attack at three points. 
The battalions of the Third corps were the first to 
scale the enemy's redoubts, taking the whole gar- 
rison — the Grenadiers of Olmiitz — prisoners al- 
most without resistance. By dawn of morning all 
the entrenchments, with their garrisons and guns, 
were captured after a more or less bloody contest. 
The Austrians, numbering about 26,000 men, 
instead of hastening to the aid of their comrades, 
left their camp in great confusion and retreated to 
the Acs forest. 

Meanwhile the Hungarians crossed the Danube 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 435 

by means of a bridge of rafts ; and drew up in battle 
array opposite to the enemy. The left wing was 
commanded by Klapka, the centre by Damjanich, 
and the right by Grorgey. The First and Third 
corps had again to fight the battle, the Seventh 
corps — the strongest of the army — in consequence 
of Gorgey's defective dispositions, being absent on 
some useless mission. A few battalions of the 
Eighth corps, which formed the garrison of Co- 
morn, stood in reserve ; thus the whole force of 
the Hungarians scarcely amounted to 20,000 men. 
The signal for the attack having been given, the 
left wing commenced the engagement with a can- 
nonade, which gradually spread along the whole 
line. Damjanich with his heroic battalions ob- 
tained the first advantage over the opposite centre. 
The right wing had the most difficult part to play, 
having to contend with the riflemen in the Acs 
forest, occupied by outnumbering forces ; still the 
Austrians visibly lost ground; when from Dotis 
in their right wing the tetes of several columns 
became visible. They were the remainder of the 
Austrian army, coming up from Pesth just in time 
to re-establish the balance of the battle. This re- 
inforcement gave them a superiority in their ca- 
valry, which in a deep column made a fearful dash 
against the advancing hussars of Nagy Sandor, 
compelling the latter to seek shelter behind the 

p p 2 



436 ETJKAL A1SD HISTOKICAL GLEANINGS 

masses of the infantry. On that occasion one of 
the rarest instances of a combat of foot against 
horse occurred. The 47th battalion, commanded 
by Major Beothy, having, on the rapid approach of 
the Austrian cavalry, no time to form en masse, 
after discharging their guns attacked the horse- 
men, as they swept down upon them, in front with 
the bayonet, and valiantly drove them back. 

Gorgey seeing the enemy's superiority and the 
weariness of his troops, who had been marching 
and fighting for twenty hours, gave orders to de- 
sist, contented with the possession of the battle- 
field and the camp of the Austrians, who, happy to 
get away upon such easy terms, immediately 
marched off towards the frontiers. 

For a while the great work of Hungary's deli- 
verance was accomplished. The Austrian main 
army, which five months previously had so proudly 
entered the country, now fled towards Yienna, 
completely routed. Bern had cleared Transylvania 
of the presence of the Austro-Eussian forces and 
the Serbians were entirely subdued by the victo- 
rious arms of Perczel. Both Hungary's good for- 
tune and glory stood at their zenith. Though the 
former soon sank beneath the clouds of the ap- 
proaching Cossack hordes, the latter shines in 
undimmed splendour far above the reach of op- 
pressors. 



FROM EASTERN EUROPE. 437 

At the close of the April, campaign Government 
placed the direction of the ministry at war in the 
hands of Klapka, who, towards the end of- April, 
proceeded to Debreczen. But all the energetic 
measures of the new minister were frustrated by 
Gorgey's arbitrary interference. Instead of being 
satisfied with the chief command of the army, he 
wanted as well to rule in the supreme council of 
the land. "When Klapka saw that he could not act 
independently, he resigned his trust, and solicited 
for some other appointment in the army. He was 
accordingly named both to the command of the 
fortress of Comorn and of the troops on the right 
bank of the Danube. There again he was deprived 
of independent action, since Gorgey, now himself 
minister of war, intrusted the guidance of opera- 
tions to a central Chancery, from whence Klapka 
received his dispositions. This naturally occa- 
sioned continual delays and a lukewarmness in 
the operations, which later resulted in the most 
disastrous events. In vain Klapka protested 
against Gorgey's dilatory proceedings as well as 
the transfer of the seat of war to the unimportant 
line of the Wag river. His weighty remonstrances 
were disregarded, and moreover he was ordered to 
take command in the island of Schiitt, which lies 
between two arms of the Danube, while Gorgey 
himself commenced a series of incoherent attacks 



438 RTJBAL axd histokical gleanings 

upon the Austrians stationed in the extensive 
bogs of the Wag. Klapka as usual displayed un- 
common sagacity and heroism in the defence of 
his post; yet the reiterated defeats of Grorgey 
could not be redressed by the skill and success of 
a single sub-commander. The army withdrew from 
the Wag and Schiitt after it had lost four valuable 
weeks and the sixth part of its forces. 

About this time — the end of June — the Aus- 
trians under Haynau had concentrated their troops 
near Presburgh, and, together with a corps of Bus- 
sians, mustered 50,000 men. After the sanguinary 
engagement at Eaab, Haynau advanced upon 
Comorn, and, having made several forced recon- 
noitrings, he on the 2nd of July undertook a 
general assault upon the entrenched camp of the 
Hungarians, who numbered only 22,000 men. 
G-orgey was totally unprepared for such a contin- 
gency, and the leaders had but time to exchange a 
few hurried words, when the fast falling balls in 
the camp itself warned them of the magnitude of 
the danger. Klapka took the command of the left 
wing, Grorgey himself hastening to the right, where 
the greatest confusion already prevailed. The 
Austrians having succeeded in dislodging the Hon- 
veds from some of the detached redoubts there, 
pushed forwards against the second line of fortifi- 
cations. G-orgey' s presence at the threatened 



EROM EASTERN EUROPE. 439 

point restored the battle to its proper level. He 
soon succeeded in driving the enemy from position 
to position ; the lost redoubts were recaptured by 
the 48th battalion, and the batteries supported by 
several escadrons of hussars sallied forth in pursuit 
of the enemy. 

While these advantages were attained on the 
right wing, Klapka carried out his operations with 
not less promptitude and success. As the enemy 
had already stormed O Szony, which formed the key 
to the left wing, Klapka placed himself at the head 
of seven battalions, and after an obstinate combat, 
supported by the heavy guns from the fortress, he 
at length carried the village — where the young 
Emperor Francis Joseph then was — at the point of 
the bayonet, and forced the Austrians, in spite of 
the presence of their Emperor, to a disorderly re- 
treat; hereupon Klapka concentrated a force of 
twenty-nine escadrons in the centrum, and made an 
attempt to break through the enemy's line. The 
Austrian cavalry who opposed the attack was routed, 
and the mighty column swept down upon the heels 
of the fugitives as far as Csem, where, however, the 
Russian reserve brought them to a stand by the 
fire of fifty guns. In vain the hussars and their 
batteries displayed the most devoted heroism. The 
destructive and overpowering fire of the enemy 
forced them to desist in the pursuit of their sue- 



440 BUBAL AND HISTOBICAL GLEANINGS 

cess, and when menaced both in flank and rear, 
they were compelled to fall back upon the entrench- 
ments. 

While the contest was still raging night set in 
and separated the adversaries. The Austrians 
withdrew behind the Acs forest, leaving the Hun- 
garians in possession of the hard contested battle- 
field. 

After this battle Klapka proposed throwing all 
the disposable troops upon the left bank of the 
Danube, in order to join the army under Dem- 
binski, and to deal a decisive blow against the Rus- 
sians ere they could unite their forces with the 
Austrians. But the commanders of the different 
corps fully confiding in Grorgey's honesty of pur- 
pose and wise dispositions, rejected Klapka' s fine 
plan, and moreover consented to a fool-hardy at- 
tack upon the Austro-Kussian army before the en- 
trenchments. 

Though convinced of the impossibility of success- 
fully executing such a scheme ; yet Klapka, for the 
sake of military discipline, would not decline the 
chief command conferred upon him for that day by 
Grorgey himself, and sallied forth on the hazardous 
enterprise at the head of 30,000 men. 

All the bravery and noble self-sacrifice of the 
Honveds only served to increase their wanton losses 
without gaining the object of the fight, namely, the 



FEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 441 

breaking through the Austrian line, and the re- 
moval of the theatre of war to the right bank of 
the Danube. After a six hours' heroic fight, Klap- 
ka fell back upon the camp as steadily and in the 
same order as if he had been executing a manoeuvre 
on. the drilling ground, keeping the enemy at a 
respectful distance throughout his retreat. 

On G-orgey's departure to the Theiss with the 
flower of the army, Klapka was left in Comorn . at 
the head of a garrison of 18,000 men. At length, 
freed from all fetters as well as enriched by the 
experience of an entire campaign, Klapka' s creative 
genius unfolded itself in gigantic proportions. 
Scarcely had he re-organised the troops, when, after 
several successful enterprises, he decided to lead 
the Honveds against the besieging corps, which con- 
sisted of 16,000 men. In pursuance of his daring 
plan Klapka undertook a sally on the third of Au- 
gust. The combat lasted for two hours, and after the 
entrenchments of the Austrians had been carried at 
the point of the bayonet the latter gave way, and at 
last fled in the wildest disorder, partly towards 
Presburgh and partly to the Schiitt across a bridge 
over the Danube. Had the column which was 
destined to outflank the enemy arrived earlier at 
the bridge, the world would have witnessed the 
extraordinary feat of the besieged taking the be- 
sieging corps prisoners. The victory was com- 



442 RTJKAL A^D HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

plete. Thirty guns, several thousand prisoners, 
and an immense booty fell into the hands of the 
Hungarians. The results of this victory were 
almost incalculable. Half Hungary, with her 
dense and patriotic population, was at the disposal 
of the conqueror, and the whole of Austria, toge- 
ther with the city of Vienna, stood open to him if 
he chose to bend his steps in that direction ; since 
no imperial army was left to oppose his victorious 
advance. Even the success of the Russians on 
the Theiss could not have averted the blow aimed 
at the very heart of Austria. After having de- 
spatched a strong flying column, under the com- 
mand of Lieut. -Colonel Mednyanszky, for the sake 
of organising a new army, and of aiding the rising 
of the population along the Danube and the lake of 
Balaton, Klapka, rife with great projects for the 
invasion of Austria, left the fortress with 8000 
men and advanced in the direction of Presburgh. 
The exulting people rose en masse in every direc- 
tion. Thousands of recruits daily poured in, and 
were formed into fresh battalions and escadrons. 
The avalanche destined for the destruction of the 
hereditary foe increased rapidly in its onward 
course. 

In the midst of these warlike preparations an 
unforeseen and overwhelming storm burst forth in 
the vicinitv of the castle ruins of the Yilagos. It 



EEOM EASTERN EUROPE. 443 

was Gorgey's treacherous surrender. The disas- 
trous effect of such an event upon the land was 
easily to be foreseen, and in the expectation of 
what really hereafter happened, Klapka, though 
with a bleeding heart, gave up the projected inarch 
upon the capital of the Hapsburgs, and conducted 
his corps back to Comorn, there to await his coun- 
try's coming doom. It ensued but too rapidly! 
Yet, in spite of the hopelessness of their position, 
the unconquered hero and his garrison, proud of 
their recent victories, were by no means disheart- 
ened. With scorn they rejected Haynau's insolent 
summons to surrender, and compelled even that 
merciless foe to respect adversaries like themselves. 
Not until army after army had been disbanded, 
and fortress after fortress surrendered, when even 
the members of Government had fled to Turkish 
soil, and not a hope of relief remained for the iso- 
lated garrison ; then, six weeks after Gorgey's sur- 
render, Klapka complied with the reiterated de- 
mands of Haynau to capitulate on twelve honour- 
able conditions, thereby saving all that yet re- 
mained in his power to save : the honour of the 
Hungarian arms and the garrison of Comorn. 
Great indeed must the Austrians' terror have 
been when, actually in the possession of the entire 
land, and backed in case of need by all the armies 
of Europe, from mere apprehension of Klapka' s 



!^W««- .-J... - UJ, * 



444 ETTBAL AND HISTORICAL GLEANINGS 

military renown they granted a capitulation to a 
fortress which at farthest must have succumbed to 
a two months' siege. 

Comorn was to be delivered up in the beginning 
of October. Ere that fatal day arrived, Klapka 
wished once more to see his brave Honveds ar- 
rayed under the protection of the sacred tricolor ; 
while the banner of death and of iron rule already 
waved over the rest of the mourning land. 

On the 28th of September the garrison was 
paraded to divine service, which was at the same 
time to be a requiem for the comrades fallen in 
defence of their hearths. The troops, mustering 
twenty-two battalions and fourteen escadrons, as- 
sembled at eleven o'clock in the morning in the 
large entrenched camp, once again under arms, 
with flying colours, and their front once more 
turned towards the enemy. The day was chill. A 
grey veil covered the sky, and cast a yet deeper 
shadow on the melancholy countenances of the war- 
riors. The united bands played Mozart's Requiem. 
Every tone of the deep, solemn strains rang as sadly 
and slowly through the still frosty air as if laden 
with the dying hopes of so many patriotic hearts. 

At the conclusion of the service Klapka decorated 
with medals of honour the breasts of those Honveds 
who had distinguished themselves in the last battle. 
At length this too came to an end ; and now the 



TEOM EASTEEN" ETJEOPE. 445 

defiling of the troops alone remained to bring that 
solemn farewell to a close. The bands struck up 
the ancient and favourite Rakoczi March, at whose 
inspiring sounds batteries, escadrons, and batta- 
lions, in slow time indeed, and yet in such rapid 
succession, marched past their beloved Comman- 
der, to salute him with a last " Eljen" The scene 
was too overpowering for the noble and sensitive 
Klapka. He put spurs to his horse, and rode off 
to escape the pang of hearing the last Eljen of the 
last Honveds. 

At length the sound of voices and of music 
ceased; men and horses disappeared, and in the 
wide arena, but a few moments before so replete 
with life and bustle, the stillness of death now 
reigned. Nothing was to be seen save a few senti- 
nels on the distant ramparts, who, as they stood 
out immoveable against the darkened sky, looked as 
if they had been the shades of some of the fallen 
brave, who had risen from their resting-places to 
witness the last act of that patriotic farewell. All 
that betokened life there was a solitary vulture, 
which noiselessly cut through the air in an easterly 
direction, guided by its mysterious instinct towards 
the scenes of death and destruction. 

While the troops were preparing to give up 
their trust a violent storm set in on the night of 



446 EITKAL A]N T X> HISTOEICAL GLEA^I^GS 

the 1st of October, which so completely tore and 
scattered the white flag hoisted on the ramparts, 
that in the morning nought but the staff was to be 
seen. The people fully believed that the storm 
was the last protest of departing freedom against 
the occupation of the fortress by its hereditary 
enemy. 

Too proud to avail himself of the advantages of 
an amnesty at the hands of the Austrians, Klapka 
went into exile there to share the fate of many of 
his brave compatriots. But even as a houseless 
fugitive he did not cease to labour for the benefit of 
his country. As his sword was sheathed he took 
up the pen, and with great care and research col- 
lected the materials for the history of the late 
struggle, which he presented to the world in two 
different works : the first in English and German, 
and the second in G-erman, French, and Swedish. 
These works may be regarded as the most authentic 
accounts of the warlike events of that period. 

When the present war in the East promised a 
fair field for the display of his talents both in the 
council and on the battle-field, Klapka hastened to 
Constantinople to offer his services to the Sultan 
against Russia. After protracted negotiations, on 
the very eve of taking command, the alliance be- 
tween Austria and Turkey was concluded. At this 



■ - .1946 



FKOM EASTERN EUROPE. 447 

urn in affairs Klapka deemed it incompatible with 
lis patriotic duty and honour to accept the prof- 
ered post ; and he immediately left the capital as 
veil as the land of the Moslems. 



THE end. 



